The Idea Jar meets When I Draw a Panda in this hilarious picture book following a boy who recruits his talented friend to teach him how to draw!
Max loves to draw, but he’s not very good at it. No, seriously, just look at some of his drawings. Ouch. So he asks his best friend, Eugene, for help. Working side by side, it’s pretty obvious there’s no hope for Max. Until Eugene has a brilliant idea, and they find a way to use Max’s unique talents to turn up the awesome and have some fun! A lot of fun!
Brian Bigg’s hilarious illustrations join Stephen W. Martin’s conversational text to create a laugh-out-loud read about embracing your talent and creativity that budding artists everywhere will relate to!
STEPHEN W. MARTIN is the author of Robot Smash!, Charlotte and the Rock and Stewart's Best Pen. He has also written for Frederator's Bravest Warriors and the Netflix series Trash Truck. Stephen resides in Los Angeles, California but misses Newfoundland.
A fun book about recognizing what makes you unique rather than comparing yourself to others. Max and Eugene’s illustrations are so fun, especially when they blend together. Max’s creativity and humor really shine!
10/18/2022 Okay, wow, first of all, whoever is telling Max he can't draw needs to sit down and take a chill pill.
And sure, I suppose that Max, the protagonist of this children's picture book, can't draw as photorealistically as his friend Eugene, who has serious talent. But Max draws quite well for his age, or doodles, I suppose. And in this day and age, figurative drawing isn't considered a more meaningful (or commercial) format than any other art that gets the point across, never mind the opinions of Old Master purists. Sure I'll admire a Breughel, but I'll engage more with a Nathan W Pyle or a Liz Climo. The Helnweins might live in a castle, but Dav Pilkey is still laughing all the way to the bank.
Anyway, this cute book is basically how Max learns to love his own drawing style, tho not in so many words. At first, he's bummed because his drawings are, according to him, hard to decipher. So he asks the phenomenally talented Eugene to teach him how to draw. As the two become friends, Max's drawings slowly improve... but something is still missing. Discovering what that is and embracing it are only one of the charms of this delightful book, that's sure to boost the self-esteem of any reader who, like Max at the start of the book, thinks there's only one "good" way to draw.
The art for this book about drawing is truly terrific, with plenty of great in-jokes and a variety -- or perhaps a spectrum, given the learning curve -- of styles. The boys are adorable, and their individual drawings are done with so much heart and character. I have to admit, tho, that I'm weirdly obsessed with Max's hair color. It's brown but has so many gorgeous shades in it, and I can't stop staring at it. Kudos to Brian Biggs for coming up with something that transcends both nature and artifice, becoming something I literally have trouble tearing my gaze from.
My eldest child enjoyed the book tho, unlike myself, had a strong preference for Eugene's style of drawing. My youngest child and most reluctant reader happily read along with me, but seemed to prefer the "How To Draw" bits -- at least the ones that weren't satirizing the "Step 3: ???" transitions between simple shapes and an anatomically perfect sketch -- to anything else.
I Can't Draw by Stephen W. Martin & Brian Biggs was published today October 18 2022 by Margaret K. McElderry Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
Max loves to draw, but is convinced he’s not very good at it comparison to his best friend, Eugene. Max asks Eugene for help. Working side by side, Eugene has an inspired idea to help them find a way to use Max’s unique talents! A funny story about embracing one's talents and creative impulses.
Way to go, Max! Shame all the preschoolers who are learning eye-hand coordination and offer your own compilation of trash-can judgments as proof that those kids can’t draw either. The excessive emphasis on Eugene’s skill as a prodigy leads Max to think that copying his friend’s artwork (“tracing”) makes Max’s work better. Hardly. This story promotes the ideas that imitating others and coloring within the lines are better than expressing one’s own originality. Clever and colorful illustrations make these notions all too appealing.
This is a great read for reluctant art students or perfectionists. The ending veers off into silly town with some butt laser humor so know your audience.
Max loves to draw, but feels that he isn't any good at it. His cats are okay, but he's not entirely happy with the details of his drawing, and knows that his classmate Eugene is much more accomplished. He asks Eugene for help (in exchange for some of his cupcake at lunch!), and Eugene is glad to help. He loans Max one of his favorite drawing books, but that's a rather vague start. Max really wants to improve, but even working directly with Eugene doesn't seem to help. Eugene suggests that Max trace the drawings, and that improves the technical aspects of the drawings, but Max feels that something is missing when he does this. Like Dav Pilkey, Max likes to include lots of goofy action in his drawings, and wants them to tell a story and not just be pretty, like Eugene's drawings are. Before too long, the friends are working together so that both of their talents are being used to good effect, and Max feels better about his artistic accomplishments.
The message of this book is a great one-- just because your skills at something might not be the best, your efforts still have value. Max enjoys drawing, and loves telling stories with his pictures, but his pleasure is somewhat diminished because he doesn't feel accomplished enough. When he begins to understand that Eugene's drawings might be technically more pleasing but lack the verve of his own, he feels better about his own skills.
Biggs does a great job using three different types of drawing-- Max's simple, childlike drawings (that are much better than my own!), Eugene's more photorealistic but still rudimentary style, and Biggs' own illustrated picture book depictions of the boys, which include an astonishing range of colors in Max's hair, facial expressions that are very emotive even though the lines are very simple, and a lot of clever jabs at drawing. My favorite isthe Pico Poblano drawing book that shows the "steps" to drawing things; these look alarmingly like Lee J. Ames' drawing books that start with basic shapes, go to suggest the vague "fill in the details" step, and end with professional grade drawings that require a whole lot of talent! The best part is the stories that Max and Eugene make up when they combine both of their strengths.
My own children were big fans of Ed Emberley's drawing books, which has much simpler instructions. This book would make a great gift combined with some art supplies and a "how to" book such as Emberley's. Other books that would be great for budding artists would be Miller's Izzy Paints, Magoon's Linus the Little Yellow Pencil, and Altes' I am an Artist.
When a boy decides that his art isn't as good as his best friend's, not only is an important lesson to be learned but a bit of silliness begins.
Max loves to draw, but he's not very good at it. So, his best friend, who just happens to be an amazing artist, decides to help him out. One technique after another flows in as the friend gives his best to teach Max how to create artwork as wonderful as his own, but each attempt ends in a flop. Until it doesn't, but that means Max is now sketching the exact same way as his friend...and there's no fun in that.
This book starts out and ends with two very different tutorials on how to draw a cat, step by step...and it fits perfectly. (Plus, readers learn how to draw cats, so kudos!) After this, we meet Max, who states right away that his drawing skills stink (although it's not clear who told him that). A few examples follow...and honestly, they weren't bad. My kids knew right away what he drew even though, according to the text, they were suppose to guess and received extra (totally unnecessary) hints at what it could be. His lack of self-confidence was a little confusing for us. Well, until his best friend's artwork comes into play—shaded and realistic, which would mean a very talented kid of that age. But even here, the best friend doesn't belittle Max in an obvious way. It's more subtle as he teaches Max to become 'better'. So, on this end, the story was a little off for us. Still, it was a fun read.
Max's creativity is amazing and ensures giggles and laughs. He embodies cartoon wonderfulness. More serious art fans will enjoy his friend's style and probably pick up some ideas for their own sketches along the way...which is also great because there is another (one or two) tutorial on how-to-draw something in these pages. So, while there's a great message about the broad range creativity can steer, there's also some do-it-yourself fun.
I can see this one working well for groups as a read-aloud, especially when connected with a chance to sketch and draw afterwards. I received a DRC and not only enjoyed Max's artwork but found the tips a nice add-on.
Max likes to draw, but compared to the drawings of his friend Eugene, Max doesn't think he's very good. So Max asks Eugene to teach him to draw! He lends Max a how-to-draw book, but it isn't helpful, he tells Max to practice by drawing fruit, but that is boring. Finally they just draw together. They draw landscapes and animals and self-portraits. Still, Max feels his drawings aren't very good. Then, Eugene has a great idea that will give Max confidence.
I adored the illustrations - Max's and Eugene's comparisons, especially the caption bubbles where they talk to each other were hilarious. AJ liked that Eugene was trying to teach Max and didn't give up on him. She thought the drawing lessons looked fun and loved that Max really did learn to draw. AJ wants to show "I Can't Draw" to her art teacher, because other kids are going to love it!
I can't draw is about a little boy who thinks he can't draw all because he is comparing himself to his friend who can draw lifelike. Max, can draw but his drawings are more unique. He starts comparing himself to his friend and when he does start drawing like his friend, he decides he doesn't like his drawings. He said they weren't awesome enough. Max draws outside the box, while his friend draws inside the box. At the end of the story, Max is happy with himself and his drawings.
This book teaches children to never compare themselves to others. They all have their own uniqueness about themselves that no one else has. Being who you are is powerful in itself and you can add your own "awesomeness" to the world.
Learning to draw can be fun but also a little scary when you're first starting out. Which is why art should be about "community" and growth. There's a lot that creativity can bring to the table and it's not just amazing pieces of art. It's friendship.
"I CAN'T DRAW" is almost like a love letter to new and upcoming artists who are afraid to take the next step. It shows you how asking for help can be beneficial for both parties and now just the budding artist.
A great book with amazing lessons. Would be fantastic to see "I CAN'T DRAW" as a PBS Kids show one day based on what kids can learn from asking for help to learning to overcome personal challenges.
I thought I was going to like this more than I ended up liking it. There is a message about embracing your own uniqueness but I almost wish it didn't have to involve Max making the drawings about fantasy topics. Like I could have done without the whole tracing bit and have Max just realize that his differences were okay.
Also, and this is nitpicky, when Max draws his self portrait and then decides to erase it because it's not as good as Eugene's, the first picture of the self portrait is in a different color crayon than the second when he is erasing. Continuity please! :-P
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is I Can’t Draw, written by Stephen W. Martin and illustrated by Brian Biggs, a clever story about artistic talent and creativity, as well as comparing ourselves to others.
Max absolutely loves to draw, but he doesn’t feel that he is particularly good at it. His crayon drawings, while wildly inventive, are crude and one-dimensional, unlike the stunning shading and perspective of his friend Eugene’s pencil drawings. Asking Eugene to help him improve his drawing skills, Max finds himself frustrated with the drawing books and still life sketching his friend suggests. Drawing side-by-side doesn’t help much either, as Max quickly grows frustrated that Eugene’s work looks so much more realistic than his. At last, the pair find that tracing enables Max to make masterpieces… yet Max can’t help but feel like they lack something. In the end, perhaps Max will learn that art isn’t just about technique, but about creativity and expression, and maybe a dinosaur and robot or two.
Wonderful. Martin and Biggs brilliantly capture the frustration that readers of all ages can feel when comparing their artistic endeavors to others and feeling inadequate as a consequence (the dig at instructional drawing books in particular was spot-on, and my inner child made me guffaw loudly). Martin’s easy conversational text is fun to read aloud, and Biggs’s illustrations capture the humor and themes of expression perfectly. In the end, I loved the message that we should not compare our talents to others, especially as I read this with JJ. Having coordination and motor skill issues, she was actually very impressed with Max’s drawings from the beginning (“He CAN draw!” – JJ), and was delighted when Max learned that drawings don’t have to be technically perfect to make people happy. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ loved it. Overall, a great pep talk for aspiring artists everywhere, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to the Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
This book is about a boy named Max who liked to draw. The only problem is that Max doesn't think he can draw well enough. Eugene is an excellent artist. Max offers Eugene some of his cupcake in exchange for help becoming a better artist.
I liked this book. Max was striving for perfection and at the end, realized that why he liked drawing wasn't to be perfect but to add his personality to his drawings.
This could be used in my classroom to show students that we are all different, and that's what ameks us special.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As someone who cannot draw (or even trace), I could definitely relate to Max (although his drawings are admittedly much better than my own). Max wants to learn to draw from his incredibly talented friend Eugene, but in doing so realizes that he can't compare his work to his friend's. Each has their own unique qualities and style. The illustrations in this book are adorable and the message is universal- embrace your own strengths! This book is a great addition to the KY Bluegrass Award nominee list for K-2.
Max can't draw...or at least he thinks he can't draw because his friend Eugene is such a great artist. Max tries all sorts of ways to get better, and with Eugene's help, he learns how to match Eugene's work. In the end, Max realizes he has a style of drawing uniquely his own, and that the important part of drawing is the fun you have doing it. Great book to get kids to see their uniqueness and the value it brings. Max is a determined and resilient young boy. There are lots of laughs along the way too.
Max thinks he needs help drawing so he turns to his best friend Eugene. While Max’s drawings are fun and imaginative, Eugene’s are detailed and realistic. After trying all of Eugene’s suggestions, Max turns to tracing. Finally, his sketches are perfect, however they lack creativity and adventure. Soon they discover when they work together, they can produce some amazing art. With humorous illustrations this book reminds readers that everyone has their own special and unique talents.
I liked how this book invited you into Max’s life and his struggles on drawing “properly”. I appreciate that Eugene as a friend didn’t force him to draw like him and allowed him some creative freedom! I also liked the invitations to guess what Max was drawing and draw alongside him too.
Although there was a lot of sarcasm in the book which I appreciated but unsure if a child would understand. I found the book funny but felt more of a children’s book written for parents.
Love this concept and the way Martin takes readers on the journey to believing in Max and themselves. Max does not believe he can draw as he constantly compares himself to his friend Eugene. Eugene is a gifted artist and encourages Max to keep trying. Max discovers he has his own unique style and stops trying to be Eugene. Terrific illustrations capture the humor and real struggle behind the drawings.
It's only January, but I have a feeling this will be my favorite children's book of the year. If you loved the Bluey episode Dragons, this book is for you.
I've worked with children in an art capacity for several years, and being shown how to love their own artistic instincts AS WELL AS being shown the value of practice is so so important.
Extra props for giving Eugene the blue drawing pencils. I adored that touch.
Max can't draw and he definitely can't draw like his friend Eugene. Eugene draws realistic, beautiful drawings. Max draws robots and animals. Max enlists Eugene to help him learn to draw. As the boys collaborate and work together, they both realize their different styles are best and Max sees he can draw.
Max says, "I can't draw!" - but really, he can. His dilemma is - he is comparing himself to Eugene who is truly gifted with drawing. I liked that Max did not give up but instead asked Eugene for help. And gained some well-deserved confidence in his ability to create fantastic art. Such a fun and encouraging book! Now give Eugene ALL of your cupcake, Max.
This book is adorable. It tells the story of someone who feels like they aren't good at something, but then once they look at their project from a different angle they realize the potential they have for being unique. I also like how it helps the reader understand that even if someone may appear better than them, they have their own gifts to bring to the table that they can use to collaborate.
I liked the growth shown in this book. We each draw differently, but we also draw for different purposes. We need the Captain Underpants of the world as much as we need the Amulet of the world. I also love seeing illustrators get to use their artistry to the full extent.
Max can’t draw as well as Eugene can and feels like giving up. Eugene gives him some lessons and Max improves. Max learns that his own style is just as important as technique. Good example of growth mindset and appreciation for your current skills.
Not all children or adults can draw objects well. This story shows how one boy draws and his friend Eugene is more artistic and draws the real animals. Both draw in their own way but Eugene is more talented at drawing. But Max learns to keep trying and gets better with practice.
I seriously wish that I had this book as a child! (All of my art teachers growing up were highly critical, and I still hate drawing.) This cute book shows how talent and imagination are both valuable. 10/10, would highly recommend it! This book is also a great one for storytime.
Max can't drew or can he? Find out in this story in which he welcomes the help of his friend Eugene whose drawings are quite realistic. If you're looking for a story about one's talents or acceptance of your own skills and abilities, give this a try.
This book is super sweet! It could be classified as a social emotional learning resource. One boy compares himself to another boy in his class because of his drawing capability. They become best friends and help each other become "better" artists.
I loved the two different art styles in the illustrations and how they're the main thing about this book. The story shows you that anybody can be an artist and that all art is is art and can be different.