Pippin Paints a Portrait

A laugh-out-loud story of artistic expression, told in direct speech and adorable manga-inflected illustrations by Charlotte Mei.

''The author and illustrator, Charlotte Mei, provides beautifully simplistic artwork to accompany her uplifting and inspirational story of self-discovery''. -- YA Books Central

''The author and illustrator, Charlotte Mei, provides beautifully simplistic artwork to accompany her uplifting and inspirational story of self-discovery''. -- Seattle Book Review

''I love that this book talks about famous artists but ultimately Pippin finds his own way of creating. Perfect for budding artists''. -- Picturebook Playdate

''This is an ideal introduction to famous artists and some of their most celebrated works for young readers''. -- Library Girl and Book Boy

''This successful debut dips into artistic mediums, and shows that there is much fun and mileage to be had in imitating old masters, as well as managing to ace your own style''. -- Good Reads

''Charlotte Mei provides playful illustrations that contrast with the fine art at the heart of the book''. -- The Great British Bookworm

''This beautifully illustrated picture book will not only inspire children to want to create art but also feel confident and determined to do it''. -- School Reading List

"Today I am going to paint a portrait. It is a portrait of someone very important. That someone is ME (it is a self-portrait). All famous artists paint pictures of themselves, and I am a famous artist. Or at least I will be when I've finished my portrait."

Pippin is painting his self-portrait, but his friends think he's got a lot to learn about painting. They take him to see Angelique's portrait, which takes inspiration from Cubism, Dudley's portrait, which is inspired by the work of Chris Ofili, Momo's portrait, which draws from the work of Yayoi Kusama, and Franklin and Aaliya's portrait, which is a colour field painting in the style of Mark Rothko.

Pippin is feeling very deflated, but his little friend Minky helps him to dig deep and find the artist inside himself.

Packed with information about famous artists, their approaches and their mediums, this book simultaneously engages, informs and asks young readers to question how they themselves 'read' and create art.

Author: Charlotte Mei
Publisher: Cicada Books
Published: 04/12/2022
Pages: 36
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 10.40h x 8.50w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781800660144
Audience: Ages 4-8

About the Author
Ziggy Hanaor is an editor and writer living in London. Her previous books include Fly Flies (Cicada, 2019) and The Pocket Chaotic (Cicada, 2020). Charlotte Mei is a stand-out illustrator and artist. Working across painting, illustration, ceramics and animation, she has a distinctive, playful approach to form and colour, which has led her to high-profile collaborations with the likes of Nike, Hermes, Lazy Oaf and Converse, as well as editorial work for the New York Times and Vice. She has a devoted following of 70k on Instagram. This is her first book.