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TIZ AND OTT'S BIG DRAW by Bridget Marzo Kirkus Star

TIZ AND OTT'S BIG DRAW

by Bridget Marzo ; illustrated by Bridget Marzo

Pub Date: Nov. 3rd, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-84976-310-3
Publisher: Tate/Abrams

A pair of friends makes art and much, much more.

Tiz is a ginger cat; she draws with a big multicolored pencil. Ott is a little donkey; he paints with a big fuzzy brush. Tiz has finished drawing their house and starts on the garden, Ott makes a big “splodge” of sun and heads for a nap, but not before Tiz asks him to tone down the sun a little, which he does with a blue cloud. Tiz, however, sees the possibilities for cooling rain and, taking Ott’s brush, bolts of lightning with attendant thunderclaps. They need to draw and paint themselves out of the ensuing storm, complete with a ladder Tiz keeps adding rungs to (it’s a long foldout). The colors are rich, clear, crayon-y hues, and the pair’s delight in what they are making is reflected on every page. Of course, they are also making a vivid mess, and they rejoice in that, too. The dialogue is minimal and simple, though not without crunch; the vocabulary expands considerably as the pair works, illustrating “splatter” and “dollop,” “scumble” and “doodle,” and many other whimsically descriptive art terms.  A double-page spread near the end illustrates how to draw both Tiz and Ott.

A fine way to encourage artistic license for the very youngest of makers, many of whom can probably read this one themselves.

(Picture book. 4-8)