Sam does not want Eva to add to his drawing, but when the scene comes to life and gets out of control, she helps him escape. - (Baker & Taylor)

A sweet and humorous picture book about Sam and Eva, a boy and girl who must balance their creativity and figure out how to cooperate after their drawings come to life. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

Harold and the Purple Crayon meets Tom and Jerry in this sweet and funny picture book about a boy and girl who must balance their creativity and figure out how to cooperate after their drawings come to life.

When Sam starts drawing a super cool velociraptor, Eva decides to join in. But Sam isn’t too happy about the collaboration. Soon Eva and Sam are locked in an epic creative clash, bringing to life everything from superhero marmots to exploding confetti. But when their masterpieces turn to mayhem, will Sam stay stubbornly solo or will he realize that sometimes the best work comes from teamwork? - (Simon and Schuster)

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is the author-illustrator of Where Are My Books? and I Want to Read All the Books. Her illustrations also appear in Sea Monkey and Bob, written by Aaron Reynolds; I’m Bored (a New York Times Notable Book), Naked!, and I’m Sorry, written by Michael Ian Black; as well as ten Judy Blume chapter books and middle grade titles. For more info, visit DebbieOhi.com or @InkyElbows on Twitter. - (Simon and Schuster)

Booklist Reviews

Against a plain white background, Sam draws with chalk and Eva paints. Eva wants to collaborate, but Sam says no. The children's creations, however, have their own ideas. Sam's velociraptor decides to snack on Eva's marmot. Larger "friends" join each drawing. As the art becomes more complex, Sam and Eva take control of the printed text, crossing words out and rewriting each other's actions. Eva, who appears to be Asian, and Sam, who's black, are rendered in black, white, and brownish-gray tones, but their artwork is in full color, expanding and flowing over the white space as the action intensifies. The digitally composed illustrations allow for visual differences between Sam's and Eva's artistic designs. When Eva exits, Sam feels overwhelmed and attacked by the images, but she decides to help at the last minute, drawing a small door through which they both escape. Teamwork saves the day, at least for now, but a new drawing begins on the last page. Funny and imaginative, the story offers ideas for discussion about cooperation and problem solving. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

In this metafictive story, two artistic kids instigate a drawing duel in which the creatures they draw act out their creators' emotions. Eventually, the sentient drawings' high jinks overwhelm Sam and Eva, who (in a nod to Harold and his purple crayon) draw a doorway to escape. The children's drawings are rendered in a naiveti that emulates kids' art, while depictions of Sam and Eva themselves are cartoony. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Creative differences lead to clashes in this metafictive story about two artistic kids, Sam and Eva, whose pictures take on a life of their own. Throughout, the children's drawings are rendered in a naive style that emulates kids' art-making, while Sam and Eva themselves are depicted in a more realistic (albeit flat) cartoon style. The story begins when Eva encounters Sam drawing what she thinks is a pony on the open, white background space that dominates beginning spreads. With not a little disdain communicated through his body language and curt response, Sam corrects her: "It's a velociraptor." Eva persists in trying to engage him, however, adding orange ears to the green velociraptor, but Sam erases them with a cloth. Determined, Eva draws her own creature and thus instigates a drawing duel in which it's soon apparent that the pictures she and Sam make are acting out their creators' emotions. The pictures fill more and more space, with their inhabitants attacking each other to humorous effect: exploding confetti, eyes that shoot lightning, and so on. But eventually, the sentient drawings' high jinks overwhelm Sam and Eva, who (in a nod to Harold and his purple crayon) draw a doorway to escape into another place with a pristine white background ready for their new drawings. And this time? They happily draw together. megan dowd lambert Copyright 2017 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A power tussle between two kids plays out through mischievous drawings."Sam had just begun to draw when Eva arrived." Sam looks surprised to see Eva appear; Eva smiles broadly. Eva compliments Sam's pony, sketched in a few green lines; "It's a velociraptor," corrects Sam, unthrilled. Eva "suggest[s] a collaboration" by adding to Sam's drawing without permission; Sam "decline[s]" by smudging out Eva's work with a rag. Their canvas is the blank white wall of whatever room they're in; Eva paints on it, Sam draws on it. They seesaw control over the mural's content: Sam's giant piano falls from the sky to squash Eva's creatures; Eva changes the piano into confetti and makes it tickle the creatures instead of squashing them. Eva, metafictively, paints over the text's descriptions and rewords them to match her newest drawing. Ohi's illustrations are digital. The childlike drawings on the wall are in color but bland; however, the kids themselves, rendered in black and white, sparkle. Eva, who's Asian, and Sam, who's black, are full of movement, their postures and facial expressions different on every spread. When their mural becomes frantic and out of hand, the kids escape in a way that Crockett Johnson's Harold would be proud of. Expressive, high-spirited one-upkidship via artwork on walls—there's nothing wrong with that. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus 2017 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Ohi (Where Are My Books?) celebrates creativity and cooperation in this story of two young artists, Sam and Eva, who don't see eye to eye (they can't even agree on a medium—she uses paint, he prefers chalk). "I like your pony," Eva says, walking onto the scene as Sam is seen drawing on a blank, white wall. "It's a velociraptor," Sam replies tersely. Thus begins a series of assumptions and disagreements that escalate as their drawings spring to life and do battle: Eva's orange marmot is revealed to be a secret superhero, Sam's raptor shoots lightning from his eyes, pianos fall, confetti explodes, and Eva stomps off, tired of fighting for control over the story unfolding in their artwork. Ohi paints the children in grayscale, letting the vivid, colorful chaos of their mural-in-progress reflect the intensity of their feelings and the wildness of their imaginations. Eventually the two reconcile, and although the final pages tease another potential argument, readers will finish the book confident that these two will work through their creative differences once again. Ages 4–8. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Sam and Eva are friends who a penchant for drawing. Eva drops by one day as Sam is working on a drawing, and mayhem ensues when the girl decides to turn it into a group project. "'I like your pony,' Eva said. 'It's a velociraptor,' said Sam." When she suggests some changes, Sam quickly erases her efforts, so she begins to add something else. "'Who said you could add a cat?' asked Sam. 'It's not a cat.' Eva said, 'It's a marmot.''' When it turns out that Sam's velociraptor is hungry and begins eyeing the marmot, Eva quickly draws a larger creature. Sam retaliates with an even larger creature, and things head south as Sam and Eva both become annoyed. Eva walks off in a huff, declaring "I don't like this story anymore.'" Sam tries to continue drawing, but the artwork takes on a life of its own as both sides of the creation attempt to outshine the other. Eva realizes that the time has come to start a new story, and she quickly draws an exit strategy for her and Sam: a small door, where they scoot through the cacophony of color to emerge on the other side of a plain white page and begin a new collaboration. "'I like your unicorn,' said Sam. 'It's a triceratops,' said Eva." Clever use of digital art showcases Eva and Sam in grayscale against white pages, which allows their colorful artwork to pop off the page in this homage to creativity and working together. VERDICT Fans of Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon and the more recent trilogy of Journey, Return, and Quest by Aaron Becker will appreciate this tale of artistic identity. Fun to read aloud or share with a small group.—Lisa Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY