I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle Harper - ADVISABLE

I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle Harper. PICTURE BOOK Union Square. 2022. $18. 9781454945949 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

An illustrator draws a shape, and when the shape says it is a "nothing shape" the illustrator turns it into a cat. But the cat wants a horse. The illustrator says that a horse is too hard to draw, and then proceeds to demonstrate things they can draw - even helping the cat drawing escape the dog drawing. But will the cat ever get the wished for horse? 

Kids will want to try to draw all these things. I loved that the background is graph paper! I don't always like when the characters talk to the author or illustrator, but this one works. I called AJ over right away to read this with me and she loved it, too. She pointed out the simple changes that made the the shape into a cat, a squirrel, a beaver, a bunny and a dog and then looked for how that shape was incorporated into the other drawings. A bunch of fun. 

Lisa Librarian