How Dreadful!

by Claire Lebourg

What exactly is a piece of art? What is it meant to capture? And how do we find the courage to believe in our work?

It’s the week of her gallery opening and none of Paty’s paintings are ready. She asks her friends to pose in her studio, and the outcome is... just dreadful. After seeing the way Paty has portrayed them, one after the other, they leave in a huff. Paty wonders whether she should cancel the whole thing. Fortunately, Michou, the gallery owner, forbids it. And Paty is in for a surprise on opening day...

What exactly is a piece of art? What is it meant to capture? How do we find the courage to believe in our work? Claire Lebourg’s watercolor illustrations convey all the worry and self-doubt that comes with any creative practice and show us that maybe the secret lies in believing in yourself.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Childrens, Fiction

36 pages, Hardcover

Published February 13, 2024

Reviews

[Janet Bruins]

Honestly it was a surprise how much my daughter adores How Dreadful. The idea of an artist’s exhibition, working hard using various drawing mediums, then believing in yourself in the face of doubt must have really resonated with her. I love how free and joyful the art is. We borrowed this one from the library and had to buy a copy of our own.

[V]

How Dreadful! showcases the heart and soul artists pour into their work, the impact our thoughtless words can have on others, and the multitude of reactions people can have to the same thing. Earnest and full of emotion and depth of character, How Dreadful! touches readers' hearts.

How Dreadful! is worth reading from a purely artistic perspective, and even more valuable when the themes of empathy and creativity are considered. The book is short and sweet (a story of one artist experiencing varying reaction to her work), and I'll keep my review short as well. If you want beauty, empathy, and introspection, How Dreadful! fits the bill.

[Feli_H]

Una polilla de nombre Paty desea dar su arte a conocer a través de una exposición que pronto abrirá sus puertas. Justo por eso ha decidido pintar nuevos cuadros, citando a diversas personas para que posen frente a ella. ¿Qué tal le irá?

En ilustraciones minimalistas con un estilo ligero –tanto que igual se hubiera agradecido mayor delineación en su arte–, se nos irá contando sobre la aventura de Paty como artista incomprendida. Sus diálogos bien llevados colaboraron a que acompañar a la protagonista fuese un agrado de leer. Quizás el estilo a la hora de mostrar los desafíos y posterior final fue un tanto monótono en su presentación, y también está ese final de ensueño demasiado conveniente que tampoco ayuda mucho; de cualquier forma sé que su mensaje crucial resonará con todo artista.

Simpático, se mantiene bien dentro de su temática y en lo que quiere hacer hincapié, con solo unos cuantos pormenores en el camino que le quitan realismo y ritmo a la narración.

Mis agradecimientos a Edelweiss+ y a la editorial Transit Books, por darme la oportunidad de acceder al DRC de este libro

[Stephanie Tournas]

Paty, a diminutive bug with an enormous proboscis, is preparing for her art exhibition in just three days. She invites her friends to come model for her. But they are all dissatisfied with her artistic interpretations of them. Isabelle doesn’t like Paty’s painting of her. Pierre feels that he has wasted his time when he sees Paty’s collage of him. Mona, when she sees Paty’s pen and ink drawing of her, shrieks, “It’s hideous … I look like A STEAMROLLED SEAHORSE!” (Mona is a lobster, but still…) Poor Paty. But, when the artworks are finally up in Michou’s gallery, a surprising thing happens.

Anyone who has ever made art will relate to this tale of self doubt. Lebourg’s playful and charming watercolor illustrations feature characters from the animal kingdom in the real life settings of studio and gallery. The setting looks like Paris. Is this a comment on the Parisian art scene?! Paty exuberantly makes her art, and is finally rewarded by the public’s reception to the show in a double gatefold spread.

[Theediscerning]

Paty is unprepared for her gallery show – but every time she creates a new piece of art using one of her friends as a model they hate it. This shows that art is in the eye of the beholder, and that you sometimes just have to stick your head above the parapet and risk bad reviews – whether you're drawing a shrimp or doing anything else applicable in life. Yes, we're in the world of oddball critters here, and Paty herself is so oddball I have no idea what she's supposed to be. I mean, yes, she's supposed to be an artist, and someone we have automatic respect for, but it would help our liking of her if we knew what she was. As reviews go, I can't really give this much in the way of positivity or a negative one – it's alright, but I didn't find any motivation to want to purchase this.

[Bailey Young]

How Dreadful is an cute, fun, lighthearted, imaginative, relatable, and lovely story! I adore the whimsical illustrations and fun color pallet. Patty is such a sweet character trying to do the best she can. She puts her whole heart into her artwork. For her art exhibition she wants to paint her beloved friends......except things don't go as planned. No matter how hard Patty tries her friends walk away angry, shocked, and offended. Patty is left wondering if she should even attend her own art exhibition, but finds a great surprise when she does!

[Andrea W]

A story of an artist translated from French, the storyline comical and relatable, the artwork exquisitely rich and subtle, dreamy and playful. Nothing feels lost in translation and the message is felt viscerally as we cheer little Paty on from the sidelines with a band of encouragement that we long for our little ones to know within themselves deeply. A rallying cry to believe in yourself and to stand firm against negativity and all the “how dreadfuls” out there in the world. Bravo Paty, indeed!

[Amy]

Paty's friends are kind of jerks. Only when their loved ones see the portraits of them at Paty's exhibit do they believe the portraits are favorable and well executed. Pierre's pages were my favorite: with the steaming cup of tea next to him as he sits for his portrait (and each friend got a little drink to sip as they sat), the way he slumps after hours of sitting still, and then inching out of her studio, disgusted. I read this on my phone so I feel like I missed some of Lebourg's customary sweet little things in the rooms.

[Cindi]

Simple, but a good message (even if subtle).

[Sabina Hahn]

I would be thrilled if I was as good of an artist as Paty. Truly stunning portraits.

Claire Lebourg smart is so lovely. Soft and warm and full of life. Absolutely adored it

[Amber]

Preschool and school-age
Some good vocabulary words

[Mar Rose]

The art is so cute

[Janet]

First published in 2018 in France and translated into English and published in the U.S. in 2023.
I think of France as a more art culture than the USA and this title is/was probably more popular in France.
Overall theme is beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Francisca]

This is such a charming book and with such a great message.

It's hard, at times, to believe in ourselves and it's even harder to show others the parts of ourselves we care deeply about--like our art and other creative endeavors.

When Paty asks her friends to pose for her, she didn't expect they wouldn't see the beauty she sees in them reflected in their portrays. It takes a third party to show everyone that being kind with others and ourselves always helps in revealing how beautiful we are.

A lovely book, with illustrations that are both sweet and funny.