Doodleville - Chad Sell
I thought Sell's Cardboard Kingdom was an interesting and original take on how divergent and questioning kids can express themselves through art and creativity. However, I didn't click with this book. The protagonist, Drew (ha ha! Drew!) created "doodles" — drawings of little creatures that she names and designs the titular city for. From their inception, they are conscious and animate, moving across walls and interacting with other drawings, which are similarly alive. No one, not even the adults in the story, seems to remark on this or think it is odd, so the drawings aren't just a metaphor for her feelings, even though the monster, Leviathan, she creates is clearly meant to represent her anxiety. I found Drew's hysterical grief at Leviathan's rampages to be weirdly out of place, and her art club friends' condemnation and disapproval likewise odd. I just never engaged with it, but then I'm not the target audience. Creative children with anxiety would probably differ. [2.5]
