''The Dot'' is a 2003 children's picture book written and illustrated by

Peter H. Reynolds Peter Hamilton Reynolds is a Canadian author and illustrator of children's books and is the founder of the educational media company FableVision. Life Reynolds was born in 1961 in Canada with his identical twin brother, Paul, who collaborates as ...

. Published by Candlewick Press, it is about a girl named Vashti who discovers her artistic talent.

Plot

Vashti is a girl who believes she can not draw. When her art teacher realizes that she left her assignment blank, Vashti is instructed to just "make a mark and see where it takes you." Vashti is only able to make a small dot on her paper, but to her surprise, the teacher asks her to sign it and displays it in her office the next week. Believing that she can do better than just that, she starts drawing multiple, more elaborate and colorful pieces centered around the dot motif, earning widespread attention and realizing that she is indeed an artist. Later in her life, Vashti encounters a young boy who believes he can not draw. After he claims that he can not even draw a straight line, Vashti asks him to try his best at making one. While the result is imperfectly squiggly, she nonetheless instructs him to sign it, starting a whole new adventure in the process.

Legacy

''The Dot'' has been adapted into an animated short film on July 1, 2004, produced by

Weston Woods Studios Weston Woods Studios (or simply Weston Woods) is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near h ...

and

FableVision FableVision Studios is a media production studio located on the top floor of Boston Children's Museum in the city's Innovation District. FableVision designs and develops a wide array of educational media, including software, games and interactiv ...

. It was awarded the 2005

Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video was named in honor of nineteenth-century American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It honored the producer of the most outstanding video production for children. The Medal was supported b ...

."Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video winners, 1991 to present"
Association for Library Service to Children. Retrieved June 1, 2017 A million educators and students celebrate around the world on September 15 (ish) - International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity in the classroom based on Peter H. Reynolds' award-winning book.

References

2003 children's books American picture books Candlewick Press books Children's fiction books {{child-picture-book-stub