Studio: A Place for Art to Start

by Emily Arrow, James Buchanan (Illustrator), Melissa Buchanan (Illustrator)

Overview

Beloved children's entertainer Emily Arrow's first picture book, perfect for (little) makers everywhere: a story about finding a space to create!

A young bunny makes the rounds of a studio building, taking in all the different artists in their habitats. Making, thinking, sharing, performing . . . but can our bunny find the perfect space to let imagination shine?

In this charming ode to creativity, noted children's singer and entertainer Emily Arrow introduces readers to the concept of the studio: a place for painters, dancers, singers, actors, sculptors, printmakers . . . and you! Whether it's a purpose-made space with big windows, a room filled with equipment, or the corner of a bedroom, your studio can be anywhere—you just have to find it!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735264854
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	03/03/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	971,681
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

EMILY ARROW creates songs about . . . books! Formerly a K-6 music educator, Emily's passion for books led her to create music that promotes literacy. Now based in Texas, Emily pioneers bringing picture books to life by collaborating with best-selling authors and publishers. Emily's YouTube Channel is a classroom sensation with over 6,000 followers and an average of 800,000 views per year, and she makes over 60 classroom and library visits a year. Emily also shares her passion for literacy and music by offering workshops, classes and weekly story times. Studio: A Place for Art to Start is Emily's first book for children.

THE LITTLE FRIENDS OF PRINTMAKING are husband-and-wife team JW & Melissa Buchanan. They first made a name for themselves by designing and printing silkscreened concert posters, but soon branched out into other fields. In addition to their work as illustrators and designers, they continue their fine art pursuits through exhibitions, lectures, and artists' residencies worldwide, spreading the gospel of silkscreen to anyone inclined to listen. The Little Friends currently live in Los Angeles with two very round cats. Studio is their first book for children.

Editorial Reviews

10/28/2019

This rhyming picture book debut by children’s entertainer Arrow explores a variety of different artistic studios and the artists who create within them. A young bunny and its parent arrive at Uptown Art Studios, a spot for all manner of creatives. A feline tour guide invites the pair into the expansive building, and they amble together through a painter’s studio, a darkroom, and a ceramic studio, among other spaces. Digital illustrations in a triadic color scheme of goldenrod, ruby, and turquoise bolster the simple text; the boldly outlined, gently smiling animals are dynamic against sleekly rendered background details. Arrow’s broad definition of studio (“Finding your own studio/ Shouldn’t be too hard:/ Round the corner, in a park,/ Or maybe in your yard.”) offers varying options, and the volume teaches readers that finding a dedicated creative space is imperative for many artists. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2021 Bank Street Book of the Year

“This picture book is a love song to creativity, and its rhyming text is filled with encouragement for children to try out all types of art.” —Booklist

“Listeners will enjoy seeing the protagonist find a personal space for creation.” —Kirkus Reviews 

“Arrow’s broad definition of studio . . . offers varying options, and the volume teaches readers that finding a dedicated creative space is imperative for many artists.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2019-10-23
This picture-book debut by a children's entertainer with a focus on literacy features a child-and-mother bunny pair touring a collective studio space.

The furry white youngster, sporting a pink-and-white-striped shirt and black skirt, eagerly follows the cat with the keys who guides them. Activities range from photography and dance to painting and singing. Some of the spaces, such as the ceramics room and recording studio, offer hands-on opportunities. Cheerful, busy silk-screened scenes are unified by a limited palette in the turquoise, coral, and yellow families. Black adds definition and contrast. An artistic ladybug awaits discovery in each spread. Rhyming verses (reminiscent of the author's songs) are presented in a variety of voices: first- or third-person plural, first-person singular, second-person singular, etc., with two to four lines per page. While "the studio" is understood to be the book's subject, the use of mixed viewpoints and short phrases occasionally muddles meaning and makes for some awkward textual transitions that are more noticeable than they might be in a song. For instance, after phrases that dwell on "a habitat for makers," the turned page reads: "Perhaps an animator / Or an actor with a part. / No matter who, they're free to do / Whatever's in their hearts." Ultimately, listeners will enjoy seeing the protagonist find a personal space for creation.

Despite textual issues, this window into process will be welcomed in the current maker environment. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews