I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont and David Catrow; book 4 of 365

image from Barnes and Noble

Every parent has walked into the room to discover their little angel has decided to use the wall as a canvas.  Using the song It Ain't Gonna Rain No More as the basis for the rhythm of her story, Karen Beaumont has written I Ain't Gonna Paint No More about a young budding artist and what happens when his mother discovers his artwork.

Kids will love the rhyming text of this story and David Catrow's illustrations are perfect for conveying the enthusiasm of the young artist.  Parents just need to make sure the paints are put away before reading this book or their walls may too become covered in all the colors of the rainbow!

The full review of this book can be read by clicking on the title of this post.


There are lots of ways to extend the learning with this book.

Colors: In the story the boy uses black to paint his back and red to paint his head.  Make a chart or a piece of artwork with the children in which they name things that could be painted with a color that rhymes with the item.

Body Parts:  Have children assemble a person using parts cut from different colors of paper.  Ex. Green Leg, Yellow Arm, etc.

Mixing Colors:  Using the three primary colors of red, yellow, and blue, have children combine two colors to determine which colors result.

Painting to music:  Play the song It Ain't Gonna Rain No More and let children paint freely in time to the music.

Alternate Endings:  Discuss with children how the book could have ended differently.  Perhaps the mother joined the son in painting or the son grew up to be a famous artist.

Please feel free to add your ideas or thoughts of this book in the comments section!