Art and Joy Best Friends Forever

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 is the creator of The Jealous Curator, a highly influential contemporary art blog. Her previous books include Creative Block, Collage, Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk, and A Big Important Art Book—Now With Women. Her first children’s book was published with Prestel Junior in 2020. She lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband Greg and her son Charlie.