Seeing Orange

March 1, 2013

Gr 2-3-Leland is constantly in trouble with his teacher for daydreaming in class, not doing his work, and always wanting to draw. One day, his family's cat wanders away, and the seven-year-old uses his artistic skills to draw a missing poster to hang in the neighborhood. A local painter sees it and invites Leland to take art lessons from her. Her encouragement helps him find Pumpkin, tell his teacher how he feels, and boosts his confidence. The full-page, black-and-white illustrations help children visualize the action in the story. Newly independent readers might sympathize with Leland's frustration at school and be encouraged when his teacher actually listens to him.-Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2013
Grades 2-4 Canadian second-grader Leland notices orange everywhere he goes, from Pumpkin, the family cat, to rust on the playground slide, to the carpet in his classroom. If only he could draw these orange possibilities instead of struggling to write stories in class, maybe his teacher, Mr. Carling, wouldn't be so angry with him, and maybe he wouldn't need his imaginary Seeing Eye dog to walk him to school. The observant boy gains confidence when Pamela, a neighborhood artist, notices his ability and offers to give him after-school lessons. With Pamela's help, the aspiring artist learns to paint what he sees, not just what things look like. A school field trip reinforces this concept: when Mr. Carling sprains his foot along the hike, the accident provides an opportunity for the teacher to understand Leland's true talent and reach a compromise with his writing assignments. Cassidy juggles numerous issues with ease in this gentle Orca Echoes chapter book, as two-tone mixed-media illustrations highlight the differences between Leland's reality and imagination.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)