The Dot

THE DOT
Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Candlewick, 2003

Category: Picture Book

This book was featured in a peace vigil I attended earlier in the month, and I have been thinking about it ever since. I know, I know … THE DOT is not a book about peace. But it is a book about self-expression, and since we were gathered to express our wishes for peace in the world, reading THE DOT was supremely appropriate.

Toward the end of the service, percussionist Matt Meyer reflected on the story and asked us to consider which character in THE DOT most described our place in the world: the student, unsure of her skills and afraid to make her mark; or the teacher, wise from experience and able to say, “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”

I am SO both.