I Love Kindergarten!: Art

PreS-Gr 1–This art-themed poetry collection features students drawing, painting, and collaging. Unfortunately, the spark of creativity that animates children’s authentic work is missing. The experiences portrayed in the book consist largely of “arts-and-crafts,” adult-oriented projects with a predetermined goal, rather than true exploration that encourages children to enjoy the process of tinkering and experimenting freely with materials. Time and again, the young characters are tasked with assembling a specific product, such as the finger outline turkey in “A Hand-y Turkey” or the origami heart in “Heart Art,” with little room left for their own artistic visions. In the poem “Whatever-We-Want Time!,” a title promising the pinnacle of open-ended creation gives way to the predictable: brand-name Play-Doh trees, cotton ball snowmen, and bead string bracelets. The illustrations, characterized by a bland digital quality, reinforce the product-over-process ethos—fixed, eye-popping smiles, all too often angled straight out at the reader, depict students self-consciously presenting, rather than truly excited and engaged in their work.