The Paint Brush Kid
Written By: Clyde Robert Bulla
Illustrated by: Ellen Beier
Recommended forages: 6-9
Random House $5.99

This novel is great for new independent readers who still enjoy illustrations in their books yet feel it is important to have chapters as well. Ten-year-old Gregory, his friend Ivy and Ivy’s younger brother Richard befriend Uncle Pancho who lives at the end of their street. Pancho is not really their uncle but is a wonderful old man who tells interesting stories of his life in Mexico. The children are mesmerized by the stories and all that Pancho does for his neighbours. One story he tells them is of the government visiting him and telling him his house will be torn down in order for a freeway to be built. This upsets everyone. Another sad story tells of Uncle Pancho’s son Jose and how he has not seen him since he was a young boy.

As he has gotten older, Pancho’s house has fallen into disrepair and is need of painting. Ivy’s father is a house painter but is too busy to paint Pancho’s house himself so he sets the children up with the tools and they begin to paint his house. They feel it is a way of repaying their old friend who is so kind to them. Since Gregory and Ivy are such good artists they decide to paint beautiful scenes of Pancho as a young boy based on the stories they have listened to over the years. This attracts a great deal of attention from the village people and before long the television cameras are filming Gregory and his artwork. Will all of this attention stop the government from tearing down Pancho’s house and or perhaps reunite Pancho with Jose?