Lunchtime for a Purple Snake
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Jessica wants to be an artist just like her grandfather. On one visit, he gives her a lesson on color theory and together they create the title painting. Grandpa also shows her how to turn a "mistake" into a painting, explaining, "All artists make mistakes." While making paint "sing" or painting until a picture goes "dead" may be illusive concepts for many readers, the story itself is satisfying. McKie and Ziefert's successful collaboration continues as text and illustrations support one another with a practiced precision. The bold, primitive pictures combine the fluid qualities of paint in the works of art with a crisp edge on the characters and setting. Though the lessons may seem a little didactic, the patient grandfather is a supportive teacher. The "Lunchtime for a Purple Snake" picture that the two create has an agreeable blend of childlike splash and complementary control. Grandpa, art, and color give this offering a variety of applications in libraries serving budding young artists.Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.