Izzy Paints

by Tim Miller (Author) Tim Miller (Illustrator)

Izzy Paints
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Inspired by a museum visit, a young koala decides to make art of their very own in this playful picture book from acclaimed author-artist Tim Miller. Perfect for fans of The Dot, What Do You Do with an Idea?, and The Book of Mistakes.

Izzy loves the big city--especially the art museum.

Izzy is so inspired by the art all around--now it's time to make their own!

This joyful celebration of creativity will spark the imagination of every young reader.

Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

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Kirkus

Izzy's happiness at creating something of his own and the simple but lively text make for a delightful and engaging read-aloud. A charming stroll through the imagination and a testament to the joys of creativity.

Publishers Weekly

After making an inaugural trip to an art museum with their yellow cat sidekick in tow, big-city denizen Izzy, a gray koala, is so inspired by the dazzling expressions on display--Miller (Tiny Kitty, Big City) tips a hat to Frida Kahlo, Henry Moore, and Wayne Thiebaud, among others--that they decide to become an artist, too. Fortunately, Izzy has both a closet crammed with art supplies and a snappy-looking artist's smock. Unfortunately, the creature is immediately overwhelmed by the blank canvas ("Izzy is stuck. Will Izzy give up?"). But the sun shining through the window--the very same "electric yellow" that's Izzy's favorite color--sparks the budding artist's creativity, and what begins as a single yellow scribble is soon amplified by "jade drips, indigo dots, magenta splashes, and teal swirls" that splatter across the spread ("Izzy feels free. Izzy's heart sings") before being proudly shared as a finished work. Rhythmic, declarative sentences and stripped-down characterizations and settings let the creative process and its rewards shine--and, via the artist's spattering, splattering hues, bring new meaning to the term "flying colors." Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Nov.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

The charmingly breezy art depicts Izzy and other figures in thick marker-like lines, giving them a contrasting simplicity to both the complexity of the detailed city in its saturated '70s colors and the paint-like strokes and splatters of Izzy's artwork. Izzy's final piece... underscores the fun of the creative process... and the wry humor playing between text and art is a bonus. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063119758
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Publication date
November 08, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV003000 - Juvenile Fiction | Art & Architecture
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV009020 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Colors
JUV020000 - Juvenile Fiction | Interactive Adventures
Library of Congress categories
City and town life
Koala
Painting
Creative ability
Art museums
Creative ability in children

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