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Books by Age » 3-4 » THE DOT: One of the Very Best Books on Creativity for Kids!

THE DOT: One of the Very Best Books on Creativity for Kids!

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Jun 28, 2016 ·  Modified: May 25, 2021 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

Looking for the best books on creativity for your children? Do you want to foster creativity in your little ones, whether at home or in your classroom? Keep on reading!


Peter Reynolds’ The Dot is one of the very best books on creativity for kids!
Table of Contents:
  1. Foster Creativity in Your Kids with The Dot!
  2. So Why Is This One of the Best Books on Creativity for Kids?

Foster Creativity in Your Kids with The Dot!

We all want to leave our mark, but sometimes, figuring out how to get there is daunting. And when something seems too hard, or too far away, or too much of a wrong fit for us, we often wish we could just give up. But this isn’t the lesson to teach our kids, and that is where The Dot, by Peter Reynolds, comes in.  I absolutely adore this book for the way it fosters creativity in my boys and my students, and this is one we turn to again and again.

In The Dot, Vashti struggles in art class, defiantly stating to her teacher that she just can’t draw. Her teacher tells her to make “just one mark” on her paper and to see where that mark takes her. So Vashti complies- making one small dot on the paper. The teacher tells Vashti to sign her name on her artwork, and then, in a moment of pure brilliance, frames it on the wall. Seeing her work on display, of course, encourages Vashti to do better, and what follows is a beautiful journey of self discovery and exploration, as a little girl ignites the creative fire she never knew she had within.

So Why Is This One of the Best Books on Creativity for Kids?

In this crazy and over-scheduled world that seems to pressure even the littlest of kids to be perfect and the absolute best at every activity they do, I love how The Dot takes an almost opposing message, imparting to hesitant children that there is always room to explore activities without pressure. The magic of childhood is just that- it’s a time of experimentation and imagination, a time to simply make a mark to see where it takes you. And that’s what it should be, because little kids don’t know what they will love and what they will hate, where they will excel and where they are lacking. The Dot encourages this experimentation without any pressure to succeed, and this is what matters more than anything. Encouraging kids to try.  Because when you try, when you take that one little action. it just may be the start of something wonderful. Thank you, Peter Reynolds, for this absolute treasure!

RELATED: We’ve got all the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!

Want the book? Get it here! The Dot, by Peter Reynolds. *This is an affiliate link.


The Dot, by Peter Reynolds, is one of the very best books on creativity for kids!.jpg

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