This book was created and published on StoryJumper™

©2015 StoryJumper, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Publish your own children's book: 

www.storyjumper.com

In this village 

resided Alexandra 

Warhol (Andy for 

short), a young 

girl who thrived in 

all artistic 

endeavors.

She performed pirouettes with sunbeams in the 

morning, 

painted pictures of tasty treats at lunch, 

and marveled at her father’s melodies by 

nightfall. 

The whole town was 

full of iridescent 

imagination, especially 

the students of Artopia 

Elementary. 

All of Artopia Elementary’s students 

found joy in their studies. . . 

especially in Ms. Cassatt’s art class. 

Ms. Cassatt was a kind and caring art teacher 

whose whimsy, confidence, and creativity 

breathed life into art.

Songs became lullabies and paintings became 

old friends.

She seemed to possess 

some sort of secret spells. 

In her class you could 

conquer all. In her class 

anything was possible.

One morning Andy danced down the driveway like every 

morning before; however, as she waltzed on her way she felt 

an overbearing presence behind her. It was hard to explain 

but something was wrong. 

When she entered Ms. 

Cassatt’s classroom she 

saw a big man, in a big 

suit, talking to Ms. 

Cassatt, wearing a big 

smile; Ms. Cassatt was 

not smiling. When the 

man left, Ms. Cassatt 

spoke with a soft, sad, 

sound, and asked the 

class to quietly and 

calming take their 

seats. 

She explained that The Man 

and his friends were concerned 

for the well-being of the 

students. She said, “The Men 

in Suits” want to show the 

world how smart you are, so 

they want you to spend even 

more time in your science, 

math, and English classes. 

They’re going to give you the 

absolute best supplies too, that 

way when you take a very 

special test you will all get the 

very best grade.” 

Now the students were excited to spend more time in these 

classes, in fact Mr. Hawking’s science class was one their favorites 

and they were extra excited to receive shiny new tools; but the 

students saw something wrong with the thinking of the Men in 

Suits. 

“You can show 

you’re smart in 

lots of ways” 

chimed the 

children. “Our 

art, music, 

drama, and 

dance classes 

should get new 

things too” added 

Andy. 

Ms. Cassatt agreed but said that the suited sweet talkers felt that 

the students would have better futures if they focused extra hard 

on these areas that had special tests. 

Ms. Cassatt then sighed, hung her head, and spoke 

through her fingers as she said, “In order for the men in 

suits to see that you are successful, we will have to 

spend less time in our arts classes.” 

The room 

gasped! 

GASP!

Andy’s world grew cold, dark, 

and empty.

Ms. Cassatt held her head high to the 

sky, and echoed the students’ shouts! 

"We will not stand for 

this! We will fight!"

That very day Ms. Cassatt teamed up with Mr. Hawking 

to form a plan. They would do research, gather student 

work, and take testimonials to show the Men in Suits 

that the arts are needed; that the arts help students 

grow!

Mr. Hawking explained to 

the principal that the arts 

help students do better on 

the special tests,   that 

students who take art get 

better grades, that students 

who take art have a better 

understanding of tough 

topics, and have brilliant 

futures, but the principal 

did not want to listen. 

Ms. Cassatt explained to the Men in Suits that students who take 

art have greater confidence, care more about other people, and 

understand the lives of people across all times and places, but the 

Men in Suits did not want to listen. . . it seemed there was 

something bigger going on. . . 

The next day Ms. 

Cassatt broke the 

bad news. The arts 

would slowly be 

abolished from 

Artopia. Poets 

pondered, but 

their pencils were 

still. 

Day dreaming 

grew dreary. 

Artopia grew soggy with sadness. 

School was no longer a place of 

wonder, it was a place of work. 

Students 

became weary 

of tests. 

They no longer predicted possibilities, 

but feared failure. 

As the arts devolved from distant friends into mere 

acquaintances, the town of Artopia forgot the 

importance of art. They no longer believed in the power 

of art. 

Andy would not stand for this. If Artopia had 

abandoned art, she would abandon Artopia. So 

she packed her paints, and wrangled her rain 

boots. 

With a heavy heart she stomped off, headed to 

bigger and better lands. 

Perhaps she’d paddle across the pond and tag 

tall towers with Banksy and the Beatles in 

Bristol. . . 

or proclaim her plight in song on a New York 

Broadway stage. 

You've previewed 35 of 54 pages.

To read more: