Some kids have a favorite teddy bear or a security blanket they tote around, but for Emma it was a small, fluffy, white rug. She never stepped on it; instead she spent hours staring into the rug. Soon Emma began to draw and paint. She drew all sorts of animals – pangolins, tapirs, wart hogs. Her parents marveled, “where did she see a pangolin?” When Emma started school her teacher was also impressed by Emma’s artwork and soon Emma was winning ribbons and trophies. But Emma didn’t care; instead she looked into the rug and asked, “What should I draw next?” Then one day Emma’s mother washed the rug for the first time. When Emma came home from school she was heart-broken. The rug was no longer fluffy, it had shriveled and become ragged. All the fluff was gone. Emma threw all her artwork and prizes away. She stopped talking and drawing and painting. Was Emma able to create art without her rug? Where did she find a new source of inspiration?Say’s quiet, reflective style is well-matched to this story of a young artist who loses her inspiration. The text is mostly description with just a few bits of spoken dialogue. Say not only creates Emma’s physical world, but also conveys Emma’s complex emotions. The watercolor illustrations are delicate and detailed and light and shadow are used beautifully. Say uses angles that emphasize a child’s point of view. Although Say has chosen an Asian-American protagonist, the story does not include cultural markers beyond skin and hair color. The book seems to be set in a major city (perhaps San Francisco, judging by the painting on the Golden Gate Bridge in Emma’s bedroom) that is populated by a multicultural cast. Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
In this book, Say brought us the story of Emma, a little artist. “On her first day at the kindergarten Emma went straight up to an easel and began to paint. Other children gathered around and watched her wave the long brush like a maestro’s baton. The grown-ups were amazed. ‘She’s special, that one,’ one adult said to another. (p. 10)” Soon, “Her room became filled with awards. (p. 14)” However, no one knew the secret between Emma and her small rug—the shaggy and plain rug that no one remembered who had given it to Emma. “I just copy. (p. 12)” She “copied” all her drawings and paintings from things she saw in her small rug. The next day after the mayor received Emma as the winner of annual citywide art competition, Mother washed Emma’s rug. “The rug had shriveled. It was ragged. All the fluff was gone. It was very, very clean. Emma cried out. (p. 22)” The illustration of the hysterical Emma aroused a lively mental movie in my mind. “Emma didn’t draw or paint… Emma didn’t speak. (p. 24)” Emma threw all her painting stuff in the trash bin. And “the last thing she threw away was her rug. (p. 24)” “‘No more pictures,’ Emma murmured. Then something made her jump. (p. 28)” She saw all the pictures she used to saw in the rug! “‘I can see you!’ Emma cried with joy. (p. 30)” All her inspiration came back, without the help of her rug any more.
What do You think about Emma's Rug (2003)?
Emma's Rug by Allen SayThis was a very cute book. It's starts off by telling about a rug that was given to Emma for her nursery. Once Emma was grown enough to walk around the rug became like her favorite toy/blankie. Instead of her playing with it, she would just look into it. It became Emma's muse and she would start to creative paintings of the things she would see in her rug. One day her mom washed her rug and Emma's muse lost its touch, so she thought. She then discovered that she really didn't need the rug for her imagination to come out, and she had her artistic talent back. This book was very curious, and I love how Emma had such an imagination, but she was so quiet and very mysterious. The age range for this book is 6-9, but I feel that some words in this book such as tapir and pangolin are a little too advanced for some kids. I read this book to my nephew and he didn't know what those words even meant and to be honest I didn't either. I had to look them up in order to explain it. Over all though it was a very cute book.
—Mariel
This is a story of Emma who from birth had a rug in her room, and as she grew she became fond of the rug. Emma draws these beautiful drawings all because she thinks the rug gives her the ability to paint and draw. When her mother washes the rug, Emma is destroyed and doesn't think she can draw, until she learns that her talent comes from withing.I really liked this book and think it amazing. I think this book sends a strong message that there isn't anyone thing that makes you talented, except you drive and passion. What I especially like about this book is the illustrations. When Emma realizes her rug has been washed, she is crushed and I felt crushed right along with her. It's great story for kids because every child has a talent that makes them unique and I think we need to cherish that. This book is one of my favorites so far!
—Kristin
I enjoy Allen's Says stories because they are so true and honest. He is wonderful when it comes to writing children's books. As a small child Emma was fascinated by the white rug in her living room, and also spends quite a bit of time drawing. winning awards it becomes cleat that her inspiration has been her rug. But when her mother throws the rug into the washing machine she is not inspired because the rug isn't dirty. She relays on this rug. But later finds herself in her art and inspired to draw again.
—Nicole Godinez
