Niko loves to draw his world: the ring-a-ling of the ice cream truck, the warmth of sun on his face. But no one appreciates his art. Until one day, Niko meets Iris . . . This imaginative and tender story explores the creative process, abstract art, friendship, and the universal desire to feel understood. A Junior Library Guild selection, Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice, Midwest Connections Pick, NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts, and New York Public Library Best Book for Kids K-Gr 3—A dedicated young artist finds a friend who understands his vision in this picture book ode to the creative spirit. Niko carries a pad of paper and a box of colored pencils everywhere he goes, and his urban community provides plenty of inspiration for his artwork. Unfortunately, his abstract attempts to capture the "ring-a-ling" of the ice-cream truck's bell, the hard work of a bird building her nest, and the warmth of the sun on his face only confuse his classmates, parents, and teacher, who seem stuck on the concrete objects missing from his drawings. Then a new girl named Iris moves in next door, and when she recognizes her own feelings of sadness in one of his drawings, Niko knows he's found a kindred spirit. Shin's digital and mixed-media illustrations perfectly capture Niko's passion and creativity, visually connecting his drawing pad to the world around him through joyous, scribbled colored pencil lines. Niko's drawings are appropriately naive, employing geometric shapes and bright colors that are echoed in Shin's visuals. Raczka's child-centered text expertly uses accessible language to describe the process of creative expression, likening it to a butterfly fluttering and a window opening in the mind. Pink-skinned Niko appears to come from a biracial family, and his classmates are depicted with a realistically diverse array of skin tones. VERDICT Niko's journey will resonate with budding artists and inspire young audiences of all abilities to create something meaningful. A must-have.—Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN "[A] picture book ode to the creative spirit. . . . Niko's journey will resonate with budding artists and inspire young audiences of all abilities to create something meaningful."―starred, School Library Journal "Raczka provides possibly the best description of artistic inspiration ever. . . . Shin's mixed-media, digital and acrylic artwork wonderfully captures the passion and poignance of a misunderstood artist."― Shelf Awareness "[An] insightful and supportive celebration of creativity and imagination."― Booklist "Conceptual and thoughtful, like Niko's own pieces."― Kirkus Reviews "Niko's sadness and sense of being misunderstood lifts when he meets his new neighbor, Iris: her thoughtful, elated expressions as she takes in his creations make for some of Shin's . . . loveliest scenes in this touching story. . . . What more could an artist ask for?"― Publishers Weekly Author of the art appreciation series, Bob Raczka's Art Adventures , Bob Raczka studied both art and advertising in college. He has worked as an advertising writer for 30+ years, and has published more than 30 children's books. His work has received multiple awards including the Claudia Lewis Award for his first poetry book, Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys , and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor for Niko Draws a Feeling . Bob and his wife Amy have three grown children, Robert, Carl and Emma, plus two dogs, Penny and Pippa. He is based in Illinois. Simone Shin is an award-winning editorial and children's book illustrator based in California's Bay Area. She has illustrated numerous children's books since 2011, and her work can also be seen in magazines and newspapers.