Lily Brown’s Paintings by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis.

This is one of my favorite picture books of 2007.  It is the story of Lily Brown, a young girl, and her vivid imagination which she expresses through her paintings.  As you read the book, you will see nods to Van Gogh and Gauguin in the illustrations.  There is a child-like quality evident in most of them that is combined with a lack of constraint that is charming.  Lily creates many paintings that she moves into, walks through, and exists in (rather like some of us with great books).  Readers will find themselves drawn into the illustrations too, understanding innately what is being described in the text.

The text of the book is equal to the art.  It expresses the freedom and joy of art, embraces Lily’s self-made worlds, and draws readers into a full understanding of being absorbed by art. 

Highly recommended for elementary art classes or story times about art.