Growing an Artist

Written and illustrated by John Parra

A boy's first day helping his father reveals the beauty in hard work and creativity.

4.2 Goodreads · 313 ratings

40 pages· 789 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud· AD620L

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Juanito joins his father, a landscape architect, for a day of transforming chaotic yards into beauty. As he sketches birds and plants, he learns about pride in hard work. Will Juanito's artistic eye lead him to follow in his father's footsteps?

From the publisher

Four starred reviews! A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year From award-winning artist John Parra comes a “heartwarming family story that underscores the value of creativity, passion, and hard work” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) that is “a love letter to sons and their fathers” (BookPage, starred review) based on his childhood experience. Today is a big day–the first time Juanito gets to help his papi on the job as a landscape architect! Throughout the day, Juanito sketches anything that catches his eye: a nest full of baby birds, a nursery with row upon row of plants and flowers, and more. Father and son travel from house to house, pruning, weeding, mowing, and turning overgrown and chaotic yards into beautiful spaces. A few of the clients don’t appreciate Papi’s hard work, like Juanito’s classmate who pretends not to see him. But Papi always feels pride in owning his own business and in a job well done. And at the end of the day, Juanito may get the chance to turn his artistic eye toward landscape design–just like his papi.