The Dot (2003)

The dot revolves around the main girl, Vashti, who does not believe in herself that she can draw. One day at school, her teacher decided to grab her to the side. He saw her lack of confidence and told her that she needs to believe in herself, so she grabbed a pen and the first drawing that came out of her head was to draw a dot. “Believe that you can and that you will.” ( )

Very good back when I read this in 1st grade. Really shows students that all art is art.

Vashti is very frustrated in art class and does not know what to create. Her teacher encourages her to just make a mark and see what happens. Varshti makes a dot and sulks off. Her teacher frames the dot and Varshti grows in confidence. Soon she is making colorful dots, big dots and small dots. A great story about giving a child confidence and seeing how they learn to express themselves.

teaching points: don't be so hard on yourself, be creative and imaginative, don't worry about the 'expectations' of others, create what makes you happy
genre: fiction ( )

The book is about a girl named Vashti, who doesn't believe that she can draw or that she's good at art. Her teacher encourages her to start by simply drawing a dot. After Vashti draws the dot, her teacher frames it. Vashti decides that she can do better, and she continues to draw and paint dots. It is very relatable for children that feel like that can't do something because they aren't good at it. It has a solid overall plot, and the illustrations directly reflect what is occuring in the text. It also is the perfect story to encourage children to do things outside of their comfort zone! ( )