The Dot

"I can't draw," wails young Vashti as she stares at a sheet of paper that is still decidedly blank at the end of an art class assignment. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you," responds her teacher, after which Vashti plunges her pencil into the middle of the white expanse, creating a dot. "Please sign it," continues the instructor. The next day, after Vashti is stunned to see her "dot" framed and hanging behind the teacher's desk, she begins to experiment with larger paper and dots in varying sizes and colors, eventually leading to her own art show at the school. Narrated by Thora Birch (Ghost World), this winsomely animated adaptation of Peter H. Reynolds' 2003 picture book ode to self-expression is "dedicated to all teachers who have encouraged their students to make their marks." Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)