I Can’t Draw, from Reycraft Books, Reinforces the Importance of Always Doing Your Best
The picture book introduces a young character who is very creative but takes the easy way out—and ultimately learns a valuable lesson.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY, Feb 29, 2023—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books presents a colorful, imaginative tale about putting creativity to work in the picture book, I Can’t Draw. Written by Andrés Pi Andreu, illustrated by Andreas Wittmann, and published on June 27, 2023, the book is narrated by its unnamed protagonist, a child artist, and features the striking, unique artwork he creates at the request of his family and friends. But instead of drawing what they have actually asked for, he always goes his own way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrés Pi Andreu is a Cuban American, international award-winning author, editor, and educational developer. He is one of the Board Directors of www.suburbano.net, an important Hispanic Cultural platform in the United States. Andrés has written more than 50 published books that have been translated into 17 languages.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Andreas Wittmann was born in Regensburg, Germany. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and currently works as an illustrator and art teacher. Andreas lives with his wife, two-year-old son, and lots of plants in an old house near Munich.
The young artist is asked to draw a bird, a cat, a dinosaur, and more. While he avoids giving people what they want, he does it in a way that is clever, even amusing—but it usually means not putting in a lot of effort. Eventually, the child’s work ethic gets him into some trouble, and he learns why he should always strive to do his best.
Andreu explained that the book was inspired by an actual event involving his oldest son, Alejandro, who was in second grade at the time. “His art teacher came at me laughing and told me that Alejandro was a character,” he said. “She had given a piece of paper with a drawing of a dog and asked the students to color it. To her surprise, Alejandro worked for a couple of seconds and set the paper aside, as he was done. She went to him and saw that he had only colored the tip of an ear! So she asked him why he wouldn’t complete the task. Alejandro calmly looked at her and told her, ‘The rest of this dog is white.’ The teacher was speechless, she didn’t say anything, because he was right and creative—a bit lazy, but very creative!”
In developing I Can’t Draw, Andreu had a central message he wanted to convey to readers. “One can be creative and clever, but using that to avoid things you are supposed to do doesn’t always work well,” he said. “I hope kids grasp that the easy way out, even in a clever way, is almost never the answer.”
Andreu also praised Wittmann’s illustrations, which combine photos with drawings. “Andreas brought a truly festive element to this story,” he said. “His collages of images and drawings are simply amazing!”
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.