SOMETIMES YOU FIND A DRAGON

A conceptual picture book that uses dragons as metaphors for creativity.

Schwarz leads readers on an adventure of discovery, guiding them to find their own artistic voices through everyday objects and activities. She moves through various scenarios where children might discover dragons—falling from trees after storms (to the unobservant, they look like twigs), hiding in paintbrushes, emerging from musical instruments, or taking flight through dance. The mixed-media illustrations combine loose line drawings of children with vibrant watercolor washes and collage elements, producing compositions that feel deliberately unfinished—an apt style for a title that emphasizes process over results. Schwarz’s palette shifts from warm reds and oranges that pulse with energy to cool blues that suggest calm focus, soon bursting into rainbow spectrums during moments of full creative expression. Bold circular shapes and flowing gestural marks dominate the visual landscape, reinforcing themes of movement and energy. Pairing large, bold typography with dispersed visual elements, Schwarz employs generous white space to let individual creative moments breathe. Fans of the work of Hervé Tullet and Peter H. Reynolds will likely appreciate this story that captures a youngster’s spontaneous spirit. Educators and parents seeking to spark inspiration in little ones will especially welcome this tale. Characters have skin the white of the page.

A creative catalyst sure to spur young artists.