Paint with a Big Brush: Adventures of Whimsy Paintheart and Palette

Paint with a Big Brush is an illustrated children's book about a dynamic art-making duo, Whimsy Paintheart and Palette. Playful and heartwarming, their tale is told on brightly colored pages. on pages readers will find a colorful feast to the eye. First time author-illustrator Liz Seaton serves up a compelling story of an art-filled friendship.

Whimsy Paintheart, a spunky little fellow in sneakers, finds his life forever changed when he skips through a garden and spies a big paintbrush. Rushing to nearby art store without a zag or a zig, Whimsy buys a matching big paint box (a Picasso-style beret). Then he heads home, builds a tower of blocks and paints all night wearing nothing but socks. Whimsy commits his life to art.

Unbeknownst to Whimsy, there exists in the world a mighty special dog: Palette. Pal has a body just right for art-making. One 5-year-old asked, "Is Pal a painting-making machine?" This pup was born with a flexible palette body chock full of boundless bright paints. Plus, Pal's got an amazing tail - a palette knife tail on a big bouncy spring. With it Pal paints spontaneously.

Each artist needs a friend, a chum for pretend - a pal for art play days from start to the end. Whimsy and Pal have so much in common - bright red hearts and matching colorful feet - will they meet?

The read-to set likes to spot all three characters (they find a busy little Crayo too). Young readers find cues to words in the illustrations. Older kids intuit art-making opportunity, often drawing Pal and Whimsy and using them to tell their own stories (exactly as intended).

Pal has all the paint the duo will ever need. A world painting sprees begins.

Great kids' art books inspire youngsters to roll up their sleeves and try something new. Whimsy and Pal urge children to pick up a paintbrush and book concludes with two blank pages designed for children to create keepsake pictures in a book they will love for many years to come.

With art you can fly
Paint the starry night sky
Take heart, take a leap
Pal and Whimsy say "Try!"

Liz Seaton wrote and illustrated the book, with art-making for the illustrations supported in part by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Maryland and the Montgomery County government.

Minnesota artist and author-illustrator Karen Caldwell designed the book.