Sam and Eva by Debbie Ohi — Book Recommendation

Title: Sam and Eva

Author/Illustrator: Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Publisher: New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017

Genre: Picture book, fiction

Audience Age: 3 to 8 years old

Themes/topics: friendship, art, cooperation, teamwork

Opening Sentences: Sam had just begun to draw when Eva arrived.

Synopsis: I loved this book! Debbie is so good — she can convey so much emotion in a smile that’s just one line across the face of a crayon wall-drawing, it’s astonishing. Sam is happily drawing on the wall with his green crayon when Eva comes along and joins him, uninvited and unwelcome, painting on HIS wall with her pink paintbrush. Can Sam and Eva learn to work as a team, or will their rivalry paint them into a corner?

Activities/Resources: For fabulous resources, you need go no further than Debbie’s website. There is a teacher’s guide created by Marcie Colleen, printables so your Sam or Eva can create their own art, an interview with Debbie about the making of the book, and much more. Check it out here.

There’s an interview with Debbie at Jena Benton’s blog.

Here are some collaborative art projects for kids from the website Art Class Curator.

And more collaborative art projects for kids from the website Buggy and Buddy.

Availability: Readily available – check your local library or bookstore, or order online from an independent bookstore like Chapters Books and Gifts in Seward, Nebraska.