Module 15 - Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle

Carle, E. (1992). Draw me a star . New York: Philomel Books.

Genre Category: Picture Book
Age Range: Ages 7 to 10
Assessment of the book’s quality: beautiful, vibrant and large illustrations with simple story line.
Assessment of the book’s potential use: It is a great book to share with children; it can also be used to inspire and teach children to draw and create stars in the library during a special arts and crafts program.

Summary:
The story follows the journey of an artist, who draws a star which then dictates the drawing of another image, allowing that image to dictate what would come next, and so on in a circular pattern. This circular process includes the interesting process of watching the artist grow from a young boy to an old man and to observe how the star he draw as a child progressed and now was different from the one he drew later. Although overtly not stated, but there is the possibility that the story line conveys the biblical story of creation, as a Booklist review also mentions that "there are biblical undertones" (1991). This religious undertone is best observed in the section were the sun asks the artist to draw a tree and the tree then (after being "created") asks the artist to draw a woman and a man. And this is where the controversy and disturbing elements in book arise, as the creator of the book, Eric Carle - draws nude man and woman with pretty much graphic description of their sexuality. This element in the book made reviewers to raise the age group from four years old to seven as they did not find the nude images of the couple appropriate for that age group.

Reaction and Impressions:
The book would have been a great source and more appropriate for younger children given its simple and humble text line and large and vibrant illustrations. I believe it was a mistake on behalf of the author to include the nude illustrations. If the story conveys the biblical version of the creation story, then at least the bodies could have been covered with fig leaves as is in the bible.

"... Carle here creates a world pulsating with life and color-a world that bursts forth from a good star sketched by a young artist. This kaleidoseopic pentagram requests a sun from the artist's pen; the sun asks for a tree, and so on until a man and woman are living happily among Carle's characteristic collages-flora and fauna of all shapes, sizes and vivid hues. Meanwhile the artist, now a bearded old man, continues to draw and create. This unusual, practically plotless work seems to embody a personal scenario close to the artist's heart. His unadorned language, pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm, adroitly complements the familiar naive artwork. Though some may be disturbed by similarities between Carle's evolving world and the biblical creation story (the unclothed male and female figures, for example), this tale of imagination and creativity pays homage to the artist within all of us-and may well fire youngsters' imaginations."_Publishers Weekly, 1998.


"The artist starts out as a toddler drawing the star, and matures through the book. This unique version of the creation story can be interpreted on many levels. Carle's painted tissue paper collages are, as always, brilliant. "_ Children's Literature, 1998.