Customer Reviews
not a good message 
2007-05-30
Tommy in this book seems spoiled and not willing/able to make something out of what he is given. He seems like a brat that wants his way and that is it. All artists learn to draw by looking. While bucking conventions is a good lesson, doing it as a spoiled child that thinks they have all the answers is not.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES - KIDS LOVE IT. 
2006-09-02
If you ever observe a class of youn students, when given free time, you will find that a great number of them choose to draw, some good, some not so good, but all great. This book has great appeal to these children. I have to admit to being a big dePaola fan, feeling he isone of the best out there and this work, which is obviously at least semi-autobiographical is truely inspiational. It is a story of a young lad who likes to draw, love art and art work and ends up doing what he loves. This gives the young ones something to shoot for and something to ponder and think about. This illustrations of of the authors usual high quality, by that I mean wonderful and the text is quite near perfect and matches the illustratios perfectly. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
A book for all ages -- let creativity flourish! 2005-08-05
Shh ... wanna hear a secret? Well, here it is: This is NOT just a children's book. Enthralled by the book and eager to share the joys of reading aloud with an older group, I shared this book with my ninth-graders back in 1991. To this day, it is one of the most cherished memories some of them have. At least one student went on to write children's books of her own. What more can an English teacher ask?
Tomie DePaola's charming story has realistic language -- he talks the way kids think -- and emotions to which anyone can relate. He tells the story of Tommy, who more than anything looked forward to first grade, when he would finally get REAL ART LESSONS and start on the road to becoming an artist like his beloved cousins. Things get off to a rocky start, but the solution is as satisfying as any you'll read. The book offers a great lesson on how to be yourself and dream big.
P.S. One more secret: If you like this book, you'll love _Emma's Rug_ by Allen Say. Artists of all kinds, unite!
Good Book by a Favorite Author 2004-03-28
This is an encouraging autobiographical tale. Tommy was sure he would grow up to be an artist. He is discouraged by people in his life at times but fortunately Tommy prevails. Thank goodness; we now have an excellent children's author/illustrator to enjoy!
The Art Lesson 2003-03-17
When Tommy wants to become an artist, he trys everything he can to be the best artist. When Tommy's older brother goes to school and has art class Tommy can't wait till he gets art lessons.
Tommy really wants to draw, and that is what he spends most of his time doing. When Tommy finally gets to go to art lessons, he wants to draw what he wants, not what the teacher tells him. So the teacher tell him once he draws what she wants him to he can draw anything he wants, and he sure did.
I think that it is really great that Tommy never gave up drawing and it followed him through his whole life, and he is still doing it today. I would recommend this book for children ages 4-8, and I think that it would show kids to do what they want to and never give up.
The Art Lesson-- by: Tomie dePaola 2003-03-12
Having learned to be creative in drawing pictures at home, young Tommy is dismayed when he goes to school and finds the art lesson there much more regimented.
Terrific Read! 2001-09-11
Do you want to read a terrific book with fantastic illustrations? If you said yes, then The Art Lesson is the book for you.
We enjoyed reading a book where the child really grows up doing what he has always wanted to do. This is a story about a child who loves to draw. His teacher only gives him one piece of paper and won't let him use his birthday crayons. But still this can't stop him from drawing. Read The Art Lesson to find out how he solves his problem.
A Wonderful Book 2001-06-07
I thought that young tommie in the story was very artistic. I thought it was funny when he took his flashlight and drew with a pencil all over his sheets. He had creativity and expressed it in so many ways. I didn't think Tommie (in the story) and his crayons were going to go down in a few years when he started to like different things beside art but I thought that him and is crayons would go far and bring sucess!
I want to draw! 2000-09-16
And so he does! Little Tomie draws everything he can imagine (and everywhere he SHOULDN'T) But Tomie is lucky. Encouraged by his parents, who buy him a box of 64 brightly colored crayons (and tell him NOT to write on the walls!) and a special art teacher who tells him that it's OK to draw a picture that is different from everyone else's, he goes on to become the much loved children's illustrator that he is today! What a great encouragement for the budding artist in YOUR family. (Remember, though, NOT on the walls!) Or for any child with a dream, for that matter! You can grow up to be anything you want to, if you work hard at it!
The Art Lesson 1999-12-02
The Art Lesson A review by Lindsey and Brent It was an interesting book. I liked the part where his relatives displayed his artwork everywhere. It made me laugh when Tomie tooked a flashlight and a pencil under the covers and drew pitchurs on his sheets. That's how much he liked to draw.
