Niko Draws a Feeling

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 13, 2018

Review

Niko Draws a Feeling is an innovative book by Bob Raczka about a boy who draws abstractly--what he is feeling rather than what he is seeing. No one seems to understand his drawings until a little girl moves in next door. Iris sees his pictures and understand the emotion behind them. This book presents many valuable ideas about ways to express emotions, respecting and understanding feelings, and the joy of finding a person who understands you. Because of that, this book could be used in both preschool and lower elementary grades. The illustrations are beautiful, as Simone Shin combines flat, colorful illustrations with a twining abstract style of crayon work for Niko's art. Both the story and the art will be inspirational to anyone who picks this text up.

Overall Book Score: very good