All of these books I either own or have read before. I’ve used all of them in either my classroom or with my own kids. I highly recommend each book on this list!
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Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
“‘One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.’ Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of wonder and excitement. Full of funny twists and surprises, this joyful story shows just how far your imagination can take you. Harold and the Purple Crayon has delighted readers of all ages for over fifty years.” — Amazon.com
** My Thoughts: This book is magic. Pure and simple. I love it so much. I envision some cool room designed with this drawing as a mural. That would be awesome.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
“A frustrated grade school artist, Vashti sits slumped over her blank piece of paper at the end of art class. ‘I just CAN’T draw!’ she tells her teacher. Her teacher first uses wit, then subtle yet clever encouragement to inspire her student to go beyond her insecurities and become, in the words of a younger boy who ‘can’t’ draw either, ‘a really great artist.'” — Amazon.com
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
“One day three white mice discover three jars of paint–red, blue, and yellow. Both parents and children alike will appreciate this lighthearted presentation of a lesson in color. Walsh’s cut-paper collage illustrations have bold colors and just the right simplicity for the storyline. A real charmer that’s great fun as well as informative.” — School Library Journal
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
“A dab of blue here, a splash of red there, a goopy smear of green . . . everywhere. To the tune of “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More,” one creative kid floods his world with color, painting first the walls, then the ceiling, then HIMSELF! Before this feisty artist is through, he’ll have painted his head, back, hands, legs, feet, and . . . Oh no–here comes Mama!” — Amazon.com
** My Note: This does contain the phrase, “What the heck!” I think the book is so good that it’s worth your kid running around saying that. Up to you. 🙂 You haven’t lived until you have seen a classroom of kindergarteners saying “I ain’t gonna paint no more no more I ain’t gonna paint no more!”
The Big Orange Splot by D. Manus Pinkwater
“When Mr. Plumbeans’ house is splashed with bright orange paint, he decides a multi-colored house would be a nice change. This favorite story of creativity and individuality is back by popular demand.” — Amazon.com
** My Note: This book is so good. It’s less than $4, but it has so much possibility for art lesson connections.
I have so many more that I love, but I will save them for another day!
What did I miss? What children’s art books do you love?
The first book above, Harold and the Purple Crayon, I can remember when I was in the early grades in the 1960s. Excellent.
Love it! Glad I could help take you down memory lane. 🙂
Great article.
This is an excellent list, although short. My immediate add on is Peter Reynolds’ second book – “Ish” and also the third book in the series – “Sky Color.” “Art” by Patrick McDonnell and “Perfect Square” by Michael Hall are also favorites as well as the other books in your graphic.
Yeah, Ish is in one of my other posts. If you click on the graphic you mentioned, it’ll take you to my other book recommendations. 🙂 Thanks for the other suggestions. I haven’t heard of Perfect Square. I’ll check it out!
Forgive me, if I have overlooked this title on your list of FABULOUS books, with which to teach art to younger children, and I realize your post is quite a bit old. I am a full-time Nanny, to a toddler, and I have been using ABCs of ART by Sabrina Hahn. This is a phenomenal, creative teaching resource. If you ask her, “Who painted The Starry Night?” and “Who Painted Mona Lisa?”, she will very clearly tell you. She cannot articulate my name, nearly as clearly, but she is spot on with Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci! She LOVES “Artie”, the little character (painter’s palette) @ the top of every page, that asks her questions. We have read the book numerous times, so I have come up with new questions, for “Artie” to ask of her. She LOVES this book. I highly recommend this book, to anyone interested in teaching their toddler about different works of art.
How wonderful!