Ish & Exotic Landscape

Featured Book: Ish by Peter Reynolds
Featured Artwork: Exotic Landscape (1910) by Henri Rousseau

Self-taught artist Henri Rousseau (French, 1844–1910) is celebrated for his paintings of whimsical jungle scenes, but critics ridiculed his "naïve" style during his lifetime. That did not stop him though, and he continued to pursue his unique vision which would inspire contemporaries, like Pablo Picasso.

In Ish by Peter H. Reynolds, Ramon loves to draw, but he's hurt when his brother Leon laughs at his drawing. Then one day, with the help of his sister Marisol, he makes the discovery that drawings don’t have to look "right"—they can look …"ish."

Inspired by Rousseau and Ramon, draw a dreamscape or something from your imagination that only you could draw.

If you don’t have access to the featured book, select something similar from your child’s book shelf or your local library. Many of the books are also available as read-aloud videos online.