I Paint My World

"This debut picture book offers a seasonal exploration of how perspective shapes emotional experience. Beginning in spring, a young red-haired boy with light skin and freckles moves through the ups and downs of a year. Rhyming poetic text features evocative language to capture the sounds and feelings of each scene. 'Spray, drench, squishy, gray,' accompanies an image of the soggy boy sad over a canceled soccer game. But here, all seasons have two sides: the next spread celebrates the rain with a 'Stomp, stomp, splash and splatter.' Vibrant illustrations bring this concept vividly to life. The art, rendered in acrylic, watercolor, pencil, and ink, is bold with expressive brushstrokes; full of motion and expression, each scene reflects the tone of the season and mirrors the child’s changing perceptions. Winter finally arrives, bringing both disgusting slushy sleet and amazing sledding, and afterward comes a conclusion: 'Seasons come, seasons go. Rain, sun, wind, snow. Every day and every hour, how I feel—that’s inner power.' An author’s note elucidates the book’s central message: life brings a variety of seasons and challenges but choosing how to view those challenges can be empowering. VERDICT This gentle, visually engaging title will resonate when supporting discussions about feelings, resilience, and mindset."

—School Library Journal

"With this bright picture book that earns its optimistic viewpoint, debut author Novak and Gal (Awe!) earnestly remind young readers that they get some say in how they meet—or 'paint'—the world. Building on a tidy three-beat structure—the letdown, the reframe, the release—the creators use a redheaded child's reactions to various kinds of weather as their model. When a downpour ('SPRAY,/DRENCH,/squishy, gray') means 'Canceled game,/BORING day,' the child slumps at the window, clearly feeling as gray as the sky. But a page-turn later, the palette floods with hot pink and lime, showing that rain also means puddles to stomp in and new buds, and the child flings both arms open—joined by a blissed-out dog and delighted birds—and merges into the scene. ('I paint the world by how I see,' reads each section's closing refrain.) Different kinds of seasonal and emotional weather follow, as exuberant, thick brushstrokes of color literalize the title's promise and envelop the reader in the dawning of agency and responsive joy. It's an unabashedly uplifting message—a flexible attitude makes its own weather—delivered with frown-fixing verve. Includes an author's note. Ages 4-6."

—Publisher's Weekly STARRED REVIEW

"Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish that is embellished with the bold, vibrant artwork by illustrator Susan Gal who brings color and movement to this emotion-centered picture book by author and storyteller Esther Novak, "I Paint My World" is an unreservedly recommended pick for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Emotions/Feelings themed picture book collections for children age 4-6. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "I Paint My World" from Apples & Honey Press is also available in a digital book format."

—Midwest Book Review

"Vibrant acrylic, watercolor, pencil, and ink illustrations burst with color and energy in this lyrical picture book about perspective and emotions. Rhyming, singsong text follows a child protagonist through the changing seasons, using shifts in weather and the natural world to mirror the ups and downs of their inner landscape. 'Gentle rays, CAREFREE days' give way to 'stinging eyes, FREEZING feet,' capturing the range of feelings that accompany life’s inevitable changes. After each seasonal scene, the refrain, 'I paint the world by how I see,' reinforces the book’s central message: our experiences are shaped, in part, by our individual perspectives. The child’s observations acknowledge that while we cannot always control the weather (or the circumstances swirling around us), we can choose how we respond to them. The inviting text and expressive artwork function together beautifully, encouraging young readers to consider how two people might experience the same world differently. The result is an affirming exploration of emotional awareness, resilience, and personal perspective. A thoughtful choice for social-emotional learning collections, this also offers an appealing springboard for art lessons exploring color, mood, and the ways artists communicate feeling through their work. Highly recommended for both school and public libraries."

—Booklist STARRED REVIEW