Mack explores fundamental questions about human visual expression.As a brown-skinned young protagonist, sporting cornrows and a lavender beret, ponders the nature of creativity, palette and brush in hand, artists from around the world and throughout history respond. Pointing to God's finger on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the child wonders if art must be perfect. Michelangelo assures the child, "You can make your art any way you want." The youngster discusses the use of color with Piet Mondrian, contemplates whether to privilege realism over other styles with René Magritte and Vincent van Gogh, and mulls the emotional content of art with Chris Ofili and Frida Kahlo. The diversity of talent and array of topics included are truly impressive. Vibrant handmade and digital illustrations portray a stone sculptor from 200 CE Teotihuacán, a cave artist, and Esther Mahlangu, a South African artist who applies traditional Ndebele house patterns on everything from jewelry to sneakers. The questions addressed are ones that will occur to most people of any age: What about mistakes? How do you know if your art is good? Leonardo da Vinci fields that last one: "Good art will be fun and mysterious…no matter how many times you see it." Humor and wonder shine through in Mack's intelligent, playful scenes. The book can be enjoyed without recognizing the artists (who go unnamed in the story itself), but backmatter identifies them and offers salient snippets for each.An inspiring and empowering manifesto for young creators. (Informational picture book. 4-9)

K-Gr 2 —Mack explores the creative process of art in this accessible and celebratory volume. Not sure where to begin, a young artist with brown skin, black locs, and a lavender beret has some questions. Answers resound from a robust and diverse cast of artists spanning time and cultures; joyous, richly textured paintings depict both famous and less ubiquitous art and artists. The narrative resolves with a happy smattering of blue paint; back matter includes vignettes consisting of contextual information, dates, locations, and artist portraits for each piece of art featured in the story. The question-and-answer format makes this ideal for a two-voice read-aloud. The questions inspire reflection and conversation, ideal for classroom use, and the concise narrative makes this a viable story time selection as well. The focus skews towards North American and European art, but relative to the world of art history in the U.S., this is a notable improvement and valuable contribution for young readers. VERDICT There's not a frown to be found in this celebration of art and artists; it's delightful! Recommended as a first purchase.—Taylor Worley

Mack explores fundamental questions about human visual expression.As a brown-skinned young protagonist, sporting cornrows and a lavender beret, ponders the nature of creativity, palette and brush in hand, artists from around the world and throughout history respond. Pointing to God's finger on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the child wonders if art must be perfect. Michelangelo assures the child, "You can make your art any way you want." The youngster discusses the use of color with Piet Mondrian, contemplates whether to privilege realism over other styles with René Magritte and Vincent van Gogh, and mulls the emotional content of art with Chris Ofili and Frida Kahlo. The diversity of talent and array of topics included are truly impressive. Vibrant handmade and digital illustrations portray a stone sculptor from 200 CE Teotihuacán, a cave artist, and Esther Mahlangu, a South African artist who applies traditional Ndebele house patterns on everything from jewelry to sneakers. The questions addressed are ones that will occur to most people of any age: What about mistakes? How do you know if your art is good? Leonardo da Vinci fields that last one: "Good art will be fun and mysterious…no matter how many times you see it." Humor and wonder shine through in Mack's intelligent, playful scenes. The book can be enjoyed without recognizing the artists (who go unnamed in the story itself), but backmatter identifies them and offers salient snippets for each.An inspiring and empowering manifesto for young creators. (Informational picture book. 4-9)