Art and Joy

This wry and wisdom-filled children’s book from the author of How To Spot An Artist helps artists aged five and up discover the joy of artistic expression while silencing self-criticism.

This is the story of two best friends—Art and Joy—and how they overcome the insidious “Art Bully” that criticizes their creative endeavors. Danielle Krysa knows that kids have an inner critic too—the kind that tells them their artworks are stupid, messy, the wrong color, or just plain wrong.

Employing the same arch humor that make her books for adults so relatable and helpful, Krysa illustrates this uplifting tale with her brilliantly colored collages and witty typography. As Art and Joy learn how to tap into their imaginations and shrug off the Art Bully, they also discover some clever ways to get their creative juices flowing using color, shape, line and found objects.

Kids of all ages will find enthusiastic support and valuable inspiration in this playful parable. | DANIELLE KRYSA, aka The Jealous Curator, is an artist and illustrator with over a quarter of a million Instagram followers. Her previous book How To Spot An Artist was winner of Best Picture Book Page in the 2021 Children’s Book Council’s Kids’ Book Choice Award in the 3-8 age range category. She lives in British Columbia, Canada. | This is the story of two best friends, Art and Joy.