Review by Booklist Review
Gray koala Izzy and their tabby cat love to tour their big city, which is populated by elephants, pigs, ducks, rhinos, and snakes, among other creatures. One day Izzy enters a museum and is amazed by all the wonderful works of art on display: "Izzy looks. Izzy sees. Izzy feels." After a snack inspired by some paintings, Izzy decides to try making art. Izzy, who already has a closet filled with craft materials, is soon able to gather the items needed to create their own painting. Though stumped at first as to what to put on the canvas, the koala is soon struck by inspiration and enjoys the freedom of trying out many ideas and techniques. Miller's colorful, clean-lined, detailed pictures were created with ink, watercolor, acrylic gouache, and some digital assistance. Simple text, along with a few challenging artistic vocabulary words (jade, indigo, magenta, teal ) will appeal to beginning readers. The ideas that art "speaks" to viewers and makes them feel is introduced in an engaging manner.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After making an inaugural trip to an art museum with their yellow cat sidekick in tow, big-city denizen Izzy, a gray koala, is so inspired by the dazzling expressions on display--Miller (Tiny Kitty, Big City) tips a hat to Frida Kahlo, Henry Moore, and Wayne Thiebaud, among others--that they decide to become an artist, too. Fortunately, Izzy has both a closet crammed with art supplies and a snappy-looking artist's smock. Unfortunately, the creature is immediately overwhelmed by the blank canvas ("Izzy is stuck. Will Izzy give up?"). But the sun shining through the window--the very same "electric yellow" that's Izzy's favorite color--sparks the budding artist's creativity, and what begins as a single yellow scribble is soon amplified by "jade drips, indigo dots, magenta splashes, and teal swirls" that splatter across the spread ("Izzy feels free. Izzy's heart sings") before being proudly shared as a finished work. Rhythmic, declarative sentences and stripped-down characterizations and settings let the creative process and its rewards shine--and, via the artist's spattering, splattering hues, bring new meaning to the term "flying colors." Ages 4--8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Nov.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Izzy the koala loves life in the big city, where there is so much to see and do. The city is bustling; on the corner of Bruegel Avenue and Dürer Street, there's an art supply store, a florist, and a tattoo parlor, fittingly named Bauhaus Tattoos--just one of several hat tips to artists and artistic movements. When Izzy and their constant companion, a little yellow cat, discover the art museum, another world opens up for them. All the other animals in Izzy's world, other than Izzy (gray) and their cat, are illustrated in blue, while the art within the museum is in full color. Even so, there's plenty of fun to be had in looking at spreads featuring the background characters: a giraffe holding an art book upside down, a fish with legs, a dog with a T-shirt that reads "Who let this dog out?" Izzy is fully immersed and inspired by the art; a wall of art reminiscent of Wayne Thiebaud's paintings of desserts even makes them hungry. Children will identify with Izzy, who after their visit wants to create their own work but then feels overwhelmed by the blank canvas. They break through, covering the canvas with splashes and drips, eventually creating a vibrant self-portrait. Izzy's happiness at creating something of their own and the simple but lively text make for a delightful and engaging read-aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A charming stroll through the imagination and a testament to the joys of creativity. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
