Book picks similar to
I Gotta Draw by Bruce Degen


picture-books
art
picture-book
children-s-books

The Art of Miss Chew


Patricia Polacco - 2012
    She's thrilled when her sketches get her into Miss Chew's special art class at the high school. A substitute teacher tells her she's wasting time on art when she should be studying - but fortunately, this is one battle that Miss Chew and Trisha are up for! This true story shows just how important a teacher can be in a child's life - and celebrates the power of art itself.

Castaway Cats


Lisa Wheeler - 2006
    . . . Safety -- but wait! The fifteen swimmers braving the waves are, after all . . . kitties. They are not into cooperating until, until on this desert isle they must. Here, from the creators of the witty Old Cricket, comes a wily, wise saga of sogginess, a feline fantasy about drying off (elegantly), shaping up (grumpily), getting along (at last), and loving it.

Invent-a-Pet


Vicky Fang - 2020
    Then one day Katie comes home to find a gift from her mother: a mysterious machine designed to help her create that one-of-a-kind creature. Each time she feeds different items into the machine, out comes a marvelously colorful new animal—like a purple monkey, rainbow-spotted horse, and green bunny! But none of them is just right. Through trial and error, Katie figures out the formula for her absolutely perfect SURPRISE pet.

Free Fall


David Wiesner - 1991
    And you can come along.

Iggy Peck, Architect


Andrea Beaty - 2007
    Iggy has one passion: building. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they’re sometimes surprised by his materials—who could forget the tower he built of dirty diapers? When his second-grade teacher declares her dislike of architecture, Iggy faces a challenge. He loves building too much to give it up! With Andrea Beaty’s irresistible rhyming text and David Roberts’s puckish illustrations, this book will charm creative kids everywhere, and amuse their sometimes bewildered parents.  Also from the powerhouse author-illustrator team of Iggy Peck, Architect, is Rosie Revere, Engineer, a charming, witty picture book about believing in yourself and pursuing your passion. Ada Twist, Scientist, the companion picture book featuring the next kid from Iggy Peck's class, is available in September 2016.

Petra


Marianna Coppo - 2016
    . . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls!

Hello, Red Fox


Eric Carle - 1998
    In this imaginative book, Eric Carle invites young readers to discover complementary colors while enjoying the amusing story of Little Frog and his colorful friends.It’s Little Frog’s birthday, and Mama Frog gets a big surprise when the guests show up for his party—all the animals are the wrong color! Little Frog tells her she’s not looking long enough, and he’s right.

Chu's Day


Neil Gaiman - 2013
    Chu is a little panda with a big sneeze.When Chu sneezes, bad things happen.In dusty library, diner pepper, circus tent, Will Chu sneeze today?

The Day the Crayons Quit


Drew Daywalt - 2013
    But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. What is Duncan to do? Debut author Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers create a colorful solution in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.

How Much Is a Million?


David M. Schwartz - 1985
    It's a math class you'll never forget.This classic picture book is an ALA Notable Book, a Reading Rainbow Feature Selection, and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book for Illustration.The repackage of this fun look at math concepts includes a letter from the author that features several ways for children to find a million everyday things.

Hooray For Diffendoofer Day!


Dr. Seuss - 1998
    It highlights the importance of thinking for yourself.

A Small Blue Whale


Beth Ferry - 2017
    A small blue whale sits in a silver sea . . . wishing, wanting, waiting for a friend. Waiting is hard, but he doesn't mind; he's sure a friend will be worth the wait. First, the whale meets a quiet pink cloud, and he thinks this might be the friend he's been waiting for. But when he finds himself in trouble, a group of penguins comes to his rescue and the small blue whale finally gets his wish. This heartwarming story about friendship--what it looks like, sounds like, tastes like, and feels like--will have readers agreeing that a true friend is definitely worth the wait.

Hey, Rabbit!


Sergio Ruzzier - 2010
    HEY, RABBIT! Is there anything waiting for me in your suitcase?Move over Easter Bunny, there’s a spunky new rabbit in town, and he has a suitcase full of special surprises for each of his friends: Dog, Toucan, Bear, Cat, Mouse, and Crab. Hey, Rabbit! is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Before You Came


Patricia MacLachlan - 2011
    In this new book from the celebrated mother-daughter writing team of Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, a mother reflects on the many things she loved best “before you came.” In lyrical prose, she explains her joy at being able to share all those things with her child, who is now her most treasured thing of all.This gentle, wonder-filled celebration is the perfect gift for parents, children, and all those who have discovered the joy of sharing their world with someone new.

Infinity and Me


Kate Hosford - 2012
    How many stars were in the sky? A million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity. I started to feel very, very small. How could I even think about something as big as infinity? Uma can't help feeling small when she peers up at the night sky. She begins to wonder about infinity. Is infinity a number that grows forever? Is it an endless racetrack? Could infinity be in an ice cream cone? Uma soon finds that the ways to think about this big idea may just be . . . infinite.