July 4, 2016
This instructional book offers thorough and practical lessons in drawing. The instruction is solid, covering proportion, shading, loose sketching, self-criticism, drawing shadows, and negative space. Each chapter features a drawing assignment. But the narrative framing the lessons is odd: David, a kid, approaches Becky, an artist, in a park and demands drawing lessons from her. Becky obliges, but David becomes insistent for more lessons and slowly infiltrates all aspects of her life to make these lessons happen. Becky protests and makes clear that David is crossing boundaries, but she eventually relents. This creates a sometimes antagonistic dynamic between the characters that seems at odds with what the book is trying to accomplish, not to mention the message of male privilege. The ending attempts to displace the gender concerns but feels creepy. Aside from how to draw, the ultimate lesson might be that kids shouldn’t chat up strangers in a park.

May 1, 2016
This 144-page book delivers exactly what it promises: a graphic novel that teaches readers to draw.It is indeed a novel, in that it tells the story in pictures of David, a blond, white boy around 12 who's seized with a strong desire to learn to draw, and a young dark-haired, light-skinned artist, Becky, whom he meets on a park bench and persuades to give him drawing lessons. After some badgering, she agrees to teach him--with limits and with honest critiques of his early attempts. It becomes clear that beyond just teaching him technique, she is teaching him life lessons. He has to be satisfied with slow progress, learning discipline, and constant self-evaluation. "Seeing what's wrong with your drawing is 90 percent of the battle. If you can't see what's wrong, you can't fix it." Once David has learned to respect Becky's boundaries and she becomes more engaged with her enthusiastic student, they make great progress. They take sketching trips to the museum, the park, and the beach, and David's drawing continues to improve. Proportion, negative space, perspective, lighting, and other drawing basics are covered concisely and informatively, so a student could easily follow the clear drawings to benefit from Becky's lessons. Crilley develops his characters fully, making this a true novel and not simply a narrated drawing lesson.An original and accessible way to learn to draw. (Graphic nonfiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from November 1, 2016

Gr 4 Up-David is awed by an older student who can draw cars, and he wants to be able to do the same. When he asks Becky, an artist drawing in the park, for a quick lesson, the small request turns into an entire summer of progressive tutorials that readers are encouraged to emulate and practice. What could have been a series of instructions enhanced with dialogue and humor instead features a full story that's heartfelt and quite moving. The book contains illustrations rendered in shaded, sepia-tone pencil overlaid with crisp, computer-created dialogue balloons, and as Becky talks about framing and realism, negative space, and lighting, readers start to notice the intriguing choices Crilley has made in his storytelling. The focus is on drawing, not graphic narrative, but as readers see and analyze the way Becky-and, by extension, Crilley-is encouraging them, the balance between cartooning and realism begins to leap out. The dynamic between David's impetuous enthusiasm and Becky's caustic reserve pays off in a way that might be surprising, considering Crilley's frequent use of caricature. This title supports rereading and careful examination of the author's impeccable technique and the implied storytelling lessons he doesn't make explicit. VERDICT An artful balance of character and technique, of observed human moments and carefully pitched instruction, that will appeal to students with artistic aspirations.-Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

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