AVA'S TRIUMPH

A bunny cleverly transforms her ruined artwork in Miller and Woo’s picture book.

Ava, a brown bunny who sports a beaded headband, is painting blue flowers at a park when a flying soccer ball knocks over her easel and causes a can of red paint to splash all over her canvas. Ava is devastated and heads home feeling crushed. In her art studio, she surveys the damage and hits upon an inventive way to “fix her painting.” Ava spends the evening working on her art until she finally falls “asleep happy.” The next day, the soccer players apologize to her at the park. Ava forgives them, acknowledges that what happened was an accident, and excitedly unveils her “fixed” painting–she has turned the unsightly red splotches into large red, yellow, and orange carrots. Ava says, “This is my best painting ever!” This sweet tale shows how a disappointing misfortune can be transformed with creativity, imagination, and hard work. Preschoolers and other young children will understand Ava’s initial distress after the soccer ball accident but may also be inspired by her positive attitude and her determination to solve a problem. The spirited language adds to the read-aloud appeal with lines like: “Whoosh....BAM! Clatter-clunk!” The pictures show stuffed bunnies, handcrafted by Miller and photographed by Woo, in appealing settings with details such as realistic green grass and trees in a bustling park. Ava’s art studio—which includes miniature canvases, brushes, easels, and paint cans—is especially charming.

A lively tale of an artistic rabbit’s perseverance after a setback.