Peter H. Reynolds crafts a quiet, pleasing story in The Dot--one that will strike a chord with children who have outgrown the self-assurance of kindergarten and begun to doubt their own greatness. His marvelous watercolor, ink, and, yes, tea illustrations are appealing in a Quentin Blakey way, especially as Vashti begins to go wild with her dots. The delightfully open-ended conclusion will have readers of all ages contemplating how they can make their own mark in the world. Highly recommended. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Product Description
With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark - and follow where it takes us.

Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."

Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw - she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says.

That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.

When Vashti angrily stabs a dot onto an empty art class assignment, her teacher wisely follows through with a lesson in life by framing her dot for all to see.

This little bit of attention takes Vashti to new heights by allowing her to take that dot and see where it leads her. She paints all sorts of dots and gains new confidence.

What the story really teaches us is to try, and to start with the tiniest of dots to begin our journeys. As my library class discussed the theme, many of the kids brought up "dots" in their own lives, such as learning how to roller skate, sink a free-throw, or turn a cartwheel. We all have to start somewhere!

And as Vashti's teacher told her when she finished that first dot, "Sign it!"

This little book is truly an inspiration, and the kids loved it. I want my own copy!


Help your kids learn creativity   March 12, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Reynolds does a fantastic job showing how someone can be creative or artistic and not even know it. I picked up this book at an elementary book fair first because I thought it was well written and illustrated. Second because I want to help my children realize they have hidden talents. And third because my husband is an art teacher in high school and his students are constantly telling him they can't draw.

This book not only teaches that anyone can be artistic but it teaches that creativity is not something only some of us are born with - it is something we all have inside of us, we just need to find a little bit of inspiration to bring it out. In Vashti's case, it was her teacher framing her dot and hanging it by her desk.

I recommend this book for anyone: kids, adults, teenagers.


Ageless Appeal!   September 18, 2003
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book actually has an ageless appeal to all of us who feel 'I'm not an artist'. I'm a middle school art teacher, and it also charmingly shows how a gentle nudge by a teacher can start a snowball of creativity!


El Punto!   March 6, 2006
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Peter H. Reynolds has crafted a simple but inspiring story that recognizes the creativity in everyone and shows how simple words can inspire that creativity. This is a book for all those people who have been told they can't by someone, because it proves that imagination lies within us all and that we only need hear it from someone so that we may begin to believe it ourselves. Reynolds reminds us of the powerful influence of teachers and their ability to challenge the preconceived notions we might hold about ourselves, encouraging us to dream and turn those dreams into reality.