In a cabin in the woods an Artist is painting a picture. Pine Marten, who loves watching Human, looks through the window and wonders what it is up to today. She sees that it is “putting colors on a board using a furry stick” and wonders why.
Chickadee comes along explaining, it is The Artist busy Making Art. Pine Marten then asks, What is Art?
Chickadee interprets it according to her perspective of the world.
Other animals, Hare, Moose, Mouse, Deer, and Coyote, show up and add their interpretations. Then Grouse arrives announcing, “THERE IS NO MEANING!”
Cat, who lives on the other side of the window, gives a complicated explanation of art. It made me laugh out loud. Given this academic description in the context of this picture book, none of the animals understand it. My suspicion is that many children (and adults) won’t either.
It doesn’t stop the animals from creating their own art. In the end, we discover that all their understandings of art are correct. When Human looks out her window at the animals, she in turn, has no idea what they are up to.
I appreciate how gently Kloepper delivers her message that art is a universal act that has many meanings and can be undertaken by everyone in their own unique way.
I am a fan of Madeline Kloepper’s gouache and pencil illustrations. Her stylized work is full of humour and sweetness. Her images of nature and her cosiness of indoors makes me long for my own home in the woods where I can make my own kinds of art. Even the forest endpapers make me happy.
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