1. Art
2. Art techniques
3. Artists
4. Book design
5. Discrimination
6. Happiness
7. Imagery
8. Individuality
9. Perception
10. Perspectives
11. Schools
12. Self-confidence
13. Visual literacy

A celebration of creativity, imagination and what it means to be different this is the story of Luke, a boy who feels out of place at school where he sees things differently to the other students. Art classes are a particular trial as his overbearing teacher responds angrily and often violently to all his efforts sometimes even tearing up Luke’s work and breaking his paintbrushes into tiny pieces. The teacher portrayed somewhat stereotypically as straitlaced, short-tempered and traditionalist does not understand why, when asked to paint a portrait, Luke put the nose and ears in the wrong place or instead of painting an apple red or green like the rest of the class chose to paint his blue. Escaping from this hostile, silent, monochrome environment where Luke and his teacher both seem at a loss as to what is wrong with him, he is drawn to an illuminated doorway and finds himself in a gallery.

The angry, scratchy, cross-hatched sepia spreads are instantly replaced by vibrant colourful pages and the tone changes as Luke views walls filled with examples of abstract, surrealist, expressionist and modern art. For the first time in his life, he begins to see that realism is not the only acceptable art form and we see his image begin to take on colour as this knowledge develops. Clever nods to several major artists and world-renowned works are reflected in the pages with a palpable sense of joy, movement and freedom emerging the more Luke sees and begins to feel at home. The reader can track the transformation of the misunderstood, pale, ghostly figure at the start of the book into the relaxed, happy, carefree boy after the gallery visit where he finds his tribe and a sense of belonging. Luke returns to school confident in his view of the world, secure in his identity and with a new sense of purpose. Effective use is made of shadows to reflect the shifting balance of power between Luke and his teacher, and the book has a wonderful circular quality. Note the clever contrast of classroom images with the teacher now being the only monochrome figure in the final spreads. There is a sense that his way of looking has also changed with a grudging acceptance of his pupil acknowledged in the last sentence of the text.

Readers who are neurodiverse, who feel different and perhaps struggle to fit in, those who have ADHD, dyslexia, or processing difficulties and those living with Autism or Asperger’s might resonate with this text and may be empowered by its celebration of imagination, creative interpretation and multi-faceted views of the world.

1. Matt Ottley website Free Resource Notes for the illustrations in ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ by Nadia Wheatley and Matt Ottley Please note this is not a direct link and the resource will be emailed. https://mattottley.com/product/study-notes-for-lukes-way-of-looking/
2. Mentor Text Review: Luke’s Way of Looking – Oz Lit Teacher https://www.ozlitteacher.com.au/mentortexts/mentor-text-review-lukes-way-of-looking/
3. The Magic Crayons - Multi-modal text and video on Luke’s Way of Looking https://www.themagiccrayons.com/blog/?post=lukes-way-of-looking-by-nadia-wheatley-and-matt-ottley
4. ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ by Nadia Wheatley and Matt Ottley. Activities that can be used in conjunction with the book. http://artsmmadd.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Lukes-Way-of-Looking.pdf
5. Read Plus June 22, 2012. Fran Knight reviews ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ by Nadia Wheatley and Matt Ottley https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/lukes-way-of-looking-by-nadia-wheatley
6. Scharkie, Brigette 3 November 2013. Prezi presentation for ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ by Nadia Wheatley and Matt Ottley. https://prezi.com/oa9nzfe3vtsn/lukes-way-of-looking/
7. Kirkus Reviews October 1, 200. Review of ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ by Nadia Wheatley and Matt Ottley. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nadia-wheatley/lukes-way-of-looking/
8. Braid, Christine & Finch, Brian. ‘Ah, I know why…’: children developing understandings through engaging with a picture book. Literacy 49 (3): September 2015 pp115-122. [A very readable study from New Zealand using ‘Luke’s Way of Looking’ and children’s responses] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274197347_Ah_I_know_why_children_developing_understandings_through_engaging_with_a_picture_book