Theresa Howell

This book would be good for primary to intermediate students. This book is "Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood" written by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael Lopez, and published in 2016. This book is about how a neighborhood which was all grey and desolate became beautiful after people all worked together to add color and art to the buildings. This book would be a good book to read alone for students as it is colorful and bright and has great words in it. It would also be great to teach about community and how if we all work together, we can make something beautiful out of something that is not beautiful.… (meer)

Little girl Mira is an artist, handing out her colorful paintings to people around her neighborhood. When a muralist ("a man with a pocket full of paintbrushes") joins her, they inspire others to start painting as well, transforming walls, benches, utility boxes, and sidewalks. A single moment of tension, when a policeman approaches, diffuses when he asks if he can paint as well. The drab city, based on San Diego's East Village (author's note), becomes a colorful community.

Reminds me of another picture book where people start a community garden in an urban space, but I don't remember the title or author/illustrator. See also: Every Dog in the Neighborhood… (meer)