Ish

Written by Peter Reynolds

Narrated by Chester Gregory

With a little encouragement from his sister, Ramon discovers that creativity is about a lot more than getting things just "right."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Weston Woods
• Release date: Jan 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9780545786812

Peter Reynolds

Peter Reynolds, coauthor of Dramatic Events, is head of the Department of Drama and Theater Studies at Roehampton Institute London.

Reviews for Ish

[Leah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this book! My kiddos did too. Love everything this writer does. This is a reminder for kids that even the things that may not be perfect, might still be a masterpiece to others. About criticism, perseverance, and confidence. Simple and clear and also whimsical.

[aam_mommy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent!

[lbblackwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ramon loves to draw. That is, until his older brother teases him about one of his creations. Just as he is about to abandon his love of drawing, his younger sister leads him to a world where perfection is not important and being -ish is enough. Ish is a wonderful story about being confident in oneself and letting go of the idea of "perfection." Peter H. Reynolds creates fantastic images with his remarkable hand-drawn art.

[kc3133 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is an awesome way to encourage children to draw and write. It shows that you don't have to be perfect, and how being an encourager can change lives. It is a very positive book and shows character growth.

[kradish-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book for encouraging perfectionist kids to keep making/writing/drawing. Even when things aren't perfect, they can be pretty great.

[jcarroll12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story about a creative young boy and his supportive little sister who appreciates his artwork! I love the new vocabulary presented in the book and think young readers would be reaffirmed in their own ideas and imaginations.

[dushiyanthimccarley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book is about a little boy named Ramon who loved to draw. One day as he was drawing a vase of flowers his older brother looked at his drawing and criticised it. Embrassed by the criticism and the thought that he could not draw Ramon crumpled his drawing and threw it away. He tried to make the rest of his drawing look right but when it didn't he gave up. His sister who found Ramon crumpling another drawing, picked it up and ran outside the room. Ramon followed her to her room where to his surprise he found her walls covered with his crumpled drawing. She showed him her favorite one, which she called "vase-ish". After seeing her walls Ramon felt encouraged to draw again and he added the words "ish" to all his drawings. I liked this book since I feel like Ramon when I have to draw and this book encourages everyone that drawing don't have to be perfect.Extension 1. i would give the students water colors and have them paint something they like and have them explain to the teache what it is.2. Talk to the students about not giving up on anything because someone did not like it.

[sheanareed · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story was about a little girl who had been taking her brothers art work without him knowing. When he found out what she had been doing she gave him the courage to do more.

[desirichter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh Peter Reynolds, your book is perfectionish. You won my heart with this book that reminds me to lean into the creative process and let the "ish' rise to the top. I think gifted kids, or any perfectionist will benefit from being reminded that are musings, in whatever form they take, don't have to be perfect to be meaningful. I'm thankful that Mr Reynolds didn't stop with the pictures alone, but extrapolated the ish to verbal forms and to life itself. Lovely.

[sunnysturdivant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This book is about a little boy named Raymond who loved to draw. One day Raymond’s brother made a comment about his art. This really discouraged Raymond. He decided he was never going to draw again. Then he discovered his sister was hanging his art in her room. Raymond told his sister that his art wasn’t good. She reassured him about his art and told him it was “Ish.” She told him that it resembled what he was trying to draw.Personal reaction: I think this book had a very good meaning, and I would definitely read this book to my class. I think it is very nice that his sister encourages him to continue drawing. This book jus shows that you don’t have to be a great artist to create art. Classroom Extension: (1) students can create “ish” art. Have them draw their own versions of “ish” art.(2). Have students paint using finger-paint to create “ish” art.

[marandajc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a little boy named Ramon and how much he loves to draw. One day Ramon's brother laughed at his drawing making Ramon feel like a horrible drawer. With the help of his sister Ramon his able to find a new "Ish" way to think about his art.

[kmclark-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ish is a book that reminds us that we don't have to be the best; we just have to be the best us. It is ok to view things differently. Perspective is everything.

[sammip-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story about not listening to what people say and do what you love

[skyd17 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ramon is a boy who enjoys drawing but then is discouraged because he doesn't think his drawings are just right. His whole outlook is changed when he finds out his sister keeps all his drawings and hangs them on her wall and tells him that they look related to what they should be but different. This is a good realistic fiction because Ramon and his family are made up but also his story is realistic. I would use this for primary and intermediate. Watercolor and Ink.

[lmcswe1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really fun book to read, and the best part about it was by far the illustrations. They are kind of hard to explain, but if I had two words to describe them I think it would be “simple” and “whimsical.” Since the book was about a boy who wanted to draw but couldn’t quite get it right, the illustrations played an important role. I think it was really cool how the drawings seemed to come off the page, kind of like they were alive. It was like the author “broke the 4th wall” using the illustrations. Another reason I liked the book is because it captured the frustrations of every young artist- not being able to get it quite right. Then, it gave them an idea of how to turn their “mistakes” into something wonderful. I think the main idea of this book is that the process is more important than the product.

[brennahuffman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peter H. Reynolds, award-winning author of "The Dot," brings us a story about Ramon, a young aspiring artist who loves drawing more than anything. However, when his older brother ridicules one of his sketches, the joy Ramon once had for his art is abruptly replaced with frustration and struggle. He decides to give up drawing completely, until his little sister helps to open his eyes and see his creations in a different way.Reynolds reminds the audience that you don’t have to aim for “perfect.” A moving story paired with simple but endearing illustrations, Ish demonstrates the importance of doing what you love to do, doing it passionately, and embracing your own unique style. This is a fantastic picture book with an inspiring message for kids and adults alike, and sure to encourage the creative spirit in any child.

[amassingale-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ish is a sweet book about Ramon who is a little boy that loves to draw. One day, while he is drawing, his older comes up behind him and makes fun of his art. This discouraged Ramon and it made him not want to draw anymore. Ramon would still try to draw, but he never thought it was good enough. One day, Marisol, Ramon's little sister took one of Ramon's reject drawings. Ramon chased her to her room and he saw all of his art that he threw away on his sisters walls. She said that his drawing of a vase was vase-ish, but she still loved it. Ramon started to become more open to the idea of living an ish lifestyle. An ish lifestyle is one that isn't perfect. One that allows you to be yourself and live freely. Genre: realistic fiction because something like this could happen, but it hasn't.

[dmtcer-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great book for self-esteem for kids! Loved it. Ramon loves to draw; until one day his brother laughs at one of his drawings. It takes his sister, who secretly saved all his crumpled papers, to show him that his drawings are worth something.

[artobsessed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book for those thinking their artwork isn't good enough.

[sconne7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed watching the video of this book. It made the book more interactive and I think it could be beneficial for those students who are easily distracted. I liked how when the book read, "he laughed," the characters in the video actually laughed. Allowing the students to read the words, listen to them, and see them being acted out could help beginning readers connect words on a page to their meanings. The idea of -ish could also be related to an overall theme that no one is perfect. In Ramon's case, having -ish drawings is more than okay.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I dunno. I guess I'm just not the creative type. When I do make something, it's more functional, like curtains or greeting cards. And then I want to do my very best. In other words, on an abstract level I appreciate the message of this book. But it doesn't do any more to make me *feel* the message than any other presentation of the message I've seen already. One thing I did really like was that the family was, I think, Hispanic, but that wasn't an overt statement, rather, it was just there.

[leann_thompson_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a boy who loves to draw, but once his brother makes fun of his pictures he decides to stop trying. He soon discovers that his little sister has been collecting his crumpled up, rejected drawings and hanging them on her bedroom walls. He learns that his work can be whatever he wants it to be, it's all in how you look at it.This is very sweet book to read. It reminds you that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. The illustrations are simple and work with the text very well, they are small pictures until you see his sister's room. It's a great contrast! My children enjoyed reading this book along with me, and I found that this story has a really great message to give to any child! Whatever they create is beautiful, simply because they tried.

[nicolec78 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book. It teaches children of all ages that things do not have to be perfect, that uniqueness is important. The book follows a young child who enjoys painting pictures but because they do not look just right or perfect he gets made fun. the young boy soon realizes that his pictures look kind of like he intends making them ish art. His ish art is a hit and inspires others. Great inspiration.Extension: Have children create their own ish art. Have them draw something they normally would not, stepping outside of their comfort zone allowing true ish art to prevail.

[malissalojszczyk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ish is about a young boy named Ramon and his siblings. Ramon loves to draw and when he is teased by his older brother, he loses confidence in his artistic abilities. His younger sister shows him that art doesn't have to be perfect and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[smeyer8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really love this book and absolutely love reading it. I love this author and love the theme of art. I also love how the main theme is art but it can connect to so many other aspects of life and all people. Ish is about a boy who loves to draw but his brother makes fun of his artwork. His sister then hangs up all of his artwork in his room and tells him how she thinks they are great. When he tries to draw a vase, she tells him "It's vase-ish!". The language in the book is descriptive and clear. The book is easy to read and understand. The writing is engaging and the characters are believable. It is easy to connect with the characters and story. The plot is organized and well paced. The illustrations definitely enhance the story and support the text. The illustrations are colorful and unique to the author. The big idea in the book is art, creativity, and accepting yourself and others.

[whitneyharrison · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a nice story about a young boy who loves to draw, and his brother puts him down by making a mean statement. So he gives up drawing completly, and becomes depressed. However, his sister thinks that what he does is awesome. And that encouragement and faith takes his art a long way.

[chavila-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute book can be used to talk about self confidence. Believing I ones self. Don't be so critical and judgemental.

[rebeccamichelet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a boy named Raymond who loved drawing, but one day his brother made a comment saying his drawing looked nothing like the subject. After trying to draw many pictures, he gave up. However, his sister kept collecting his drawings and said they looked something-ish. After his sister's comment, Raymond was inspired to draw more ish-like things.

[bdecossa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A boy named Ramon loved to draw and create art. His older sibling however criticized his artwork. He then just about lost all confidence in his ability to draw and make art. His younger sister then comes along and makes Ramon realize that anything can be art and it can all be beautiful works of art.

[sommerkirk-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This realistic fiction was about a boy named Ramon who loved to draw anything, anywhere, at any time. His older brother tells him that one of his drawings does not look like he thinks it does, and Ramon is crushed and crumples up all of his art. Later Ramon finds out that his little sister has hung up all of his art in her room because it looks like the thing-ish. Then Ramon is inspired once more to draw everything agin, isn, and falls in love with art again.