Exploring art with children can help them understand the world and learn to express themselves.
The books on this page explore art in many formats, including famous artists and their works, art appreciation, and creating your own art.
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
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In spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend. Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, a young Indian boy had a Dream-Vision in which it was revealed that one day he would create a painting that was as pure as the colors of the evening sky at sunset. The boy grew up to become the painter of the tribe, but although he found a pure white buckskin for a canvas and made paints from the brightest flowers and the reddest berries, he could not capture the sunset. How the young Indian artist finally fulfills his Dream-Vision is lovingly told and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, in words and pictures that capture the spirit and beauty of this dramatic legend.
A Is for Artist
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Details from twenty-six paintings by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, and Edgar Degas provide the objects corresponding with each letter of the alphabet.
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
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A brilliant new Eric Carle picture book for the artist in us all Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.
Cool Ali
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A young girl's chalk drawings bring her neighbors some relief on a hot summer day.
Merl and Jasper's Supper Caper
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It's suppertime, and a little girl named Ann has just enough time to sketch Merl and Jasper, an adorable cat and dog, before being called to dinner. But Ann isn't the only one who's hungry, so are Merl and Jasper! And since supper isn't brought to them, they have to go find supper. What better place for a paper dog and cat to look than on the pages of Ann's favorite books.
Emma's Rug
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Emma is a gifted young artist whose most prized possession is a small, shaggy rug. When her mother accidentally puts the rug in the washing machine and destroys it, Emma is devastated and ceases her art.
Leonardo Da Vinci
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A biography of the Italian Renaissance artist and inventor who, at about age thirty, began writing his famous notebooks which contain the outpourings of his amazing mind.
Viva Frida
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A 2015 Caldecott Honor BookA 2015 Pura Belpré (Illustrator) AwardFrida Kahlo, one of the world's most famous and unusual artists is revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases.Distinguished author/illustrator Yuyi Morales illuminates Frida's life and work in this elegant and fascinating book.
Linnea in Monet's Garden
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A little girl visits the home and garden of Claude Monet at Giverny, France, and learns about the artist's paintings and his life. The illustrations include photographs of the painter and his family as well as examples of his work."
A Bird or Two
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Bijou Le Tord's delightful illustrations capture the vivid colors of the beloved painter Henri Matisse, and her poetic words sing to the music of his pictures.
Vincent Van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind
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A vibrantly illustrated biography of Vincent van Gogh based on letters he sent to his brother Theo.
Sing it out! Books with rhythms and songs, like these, can make reading fun! Also, the repetitive nature helps with word recognition, encouraging young children to read more and more. All of the books on this page are based on a song. Some even have lyrics, scores, notation, and chords to enable you to play and sing along with the story.
The Composer Is Dead
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There's dreadful news from the symphony hall-the composer is dead!If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians are most certainly guilty of something. Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting a bit too boisterously? In this perplexing murder mystery, everyone seems to have a motive, everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But the composer is still dead.Perhaps you can solve the crime yourself. Join the Inspector as he interrogates all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording featuring Lemony Snicket and the music of Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
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When this book begins, the trombone is playing all by itself. But soon a trumpet makes a duet, a french horn a trio, and so on until the entire orchestra is assembled on stage. Written in elegant and rhythmic verse and illustrated with playful and flowing artwork, this unique counting book is the perfect introduction to musical groups. Readers of all ages are sure to shout "Encore!" when they reach the final page of this joyous celebration of classical music.
Double Bass Blues
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Nic is an aspiring musician whose life spans two different worlds--his suburban school where he wows his friends in orchestra, and the busy city streets of his home where he's jostled by the crowd. Nic makes his way home from a busy day at school with a double bass on his back, the symphony of his surroundings in his heart, and a sweet surprise for the reader at the end of his journey.
Because
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Mo Willems, a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, composes a powerful symphony of chance, discovery, persistence, and magic in this moving tale of a young girl's journey to center stage.
Change Sings
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As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes--big or small--in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves.
My Favorite Things
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Raindrops on roses and wkiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens... "My Favorite Things," Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved song from The Sound of Music, has captured the hearts of children young and old for generations. Its magical images -- cream-colored ponies and girls in white dresses -- paired with its lilting rhyme, never fail to delight. Now acclaimed illustrator Renee Graef gives this classic song new meaning with heartwarming full-color illustrations Of a loving family and their life throughout the course of a year. Complete with the score of the song, My Favorite Things is both a wonderful book for families to share and a gorgeous keepsake to cherish.
Cada Niño
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In Cada Niño / Every Child, acclaimed singer/songwriter Tish Hinojosa presents eleven bilingual songs especially for children. Some are playful toe-tappers like "The Barnyard Dance / El Baile Vegetal" where all the peas and greens and cabbage and beans shimmy in the pale moonlight; some are ballads, telling stories about the Mexican Revolution; while some are lullabies, sweet and dreamy, or celebrations of a grandmother’s love. But all of the songs will teach children about the rich mixture of Latino and American culture and tradition that is spreading out from the border across the United States. Every song is presented in both Spanish and English. Lyrics, music and guitar chords will help kids, parents and teachers to sing and play these wonderful songs themselves.
Wheels on the Bus
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In this wittily illustrated, cleverly engineered book with moving parts, based on the popular play-rhyme, Zelinsky introduces all kinds of characters, slyly humorous subplots, and parts that go round and round, in and out, back and forth, up and down.
Over the River and Through the Wood
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In this hilarious modern spoof of a favorite holiday song, the trip to Grandfather's house is no peaceful sleigh ride!
Three Little Kittens
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Young children all know the Mother Goose rhyme of the kittens who have lost their mittens, but they've never seen it illustrated with so much energy, beauty, and flair. Preschoolers will delight in these cuddly kittens as they frolic outside in the falling leaves, get their whiskers sticky while eating a just-baked apple pie, and do the washing-up under Mama Cat's watchful gaze.Caldecott Medal winning, New York Timesbestselling author/artist Jerry Pinkney brings a gloriously vivid palette, delightful details and tremendous warmth to his version of this favorite nursery rhyme.
Sing Noel
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A collection of the world's favorite Christmas carols, including music and historical notes.
De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children
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This carefully crafted collection, richly illustrated with exuberant collages, contains 25 songs. Some of the selections are well-known, such as Los pollitos and La pinata, and others are more current favorites. Spanish and English lyrics are presented side by side, with simple musical arrangements for piano, voice, and guitar.
There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake
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A cumulative text featuring repetition and tongue-twisters combine with gorgeous illustrations from New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long for a book kids will clamor for at storytime. Endpapers include sheet music and lyrics for kids and parents to have their own singalong!
The Eentsy, Weentsy Spider
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Thirty-eight rhymes that demonstrate the fun children have performing the actions.
1,000 Fingerplays and Action Rhymes
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This extensive compilation of fingerplays is grouped alphabetically into nine broad sections; within each one, readers will find themes of interest with suggested fingerplays and motions, books, and musical selections. Appendixes provide addresses where readers can purchase special props and supplies to augment the production. The supplemental DVD introduces beginners to a basic preparation outline for a preschool session; demonstrates several fingerplays in front of a live, wiggly audience; and tours a storytime planner's closet to point out how the author organizes her realia of puppets, flannel-board pieces, and other props.
The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems, Fingerplays and Chants
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Over 700 rhymes, songs, poems, fingerplays, and chants give children a variety of ways to fall in love with rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and structural sequence-important building blocks for future readers. The selections will help children ages 3 to 6 build a strong foundation in listening skills, imagination, coordination, and spatial and body awareness. In this giant book of rhythm and rhyme, you are sure to find your own childhood favorites!
Bilingual Book of Rhymes, Songs, Stories, and Fingerplays
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Offers over 450 selections, with Spanish on one page and English on the opposite. Children will be thrilled to learn new words to their favorite Spanish and English tunes. At the same time, they will build vocabulary and explore the sounds of both languages-important skills for beginning readers! Organized by theme for easy use, this invaluable collection provides a springboard for teaching a second language and for working in a bilingual classroom.
The Book of Bounces
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Encouraging the centuries-old practice of amusing and distracting babies by bouncing them on the knee, this collection contains more than 150 traditional songs and rhymes for bouncing, including "Pop Goes the Weasel," "To Market, To Market," and "This Is the Way the Ladies Ride."
200 Essential Preschool Activities
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This resource provides preschool, pre-kindergarten, and student teachers with an abundance of developmentally appropriate lessons, all developed by the author and used in her own classroom for more than fifteen years. These adaptable, open-ended activities and strategies complement any early childhood program's core curriculum. 200 Essential Preschool Activities provides activities for and information on: Creative centers, including dramatic play areas and discovery and sensory areas Learning games, including turn-taking and board games, academic games, and cooperative and active games Group lessons, including circle time, social lessons, hands-on skill builders, and musical games and finger plays Arts and crafts, including child-centered expressive art and creative tools and methods Classroom structure, including classroom areas and centers and creating learning opportunities
The Learning Power of Laughter
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Serious learning can happen in playful moments. The Learning Power of Laughter has over 300 activities that use the power of laughter to encourage 3- to 6- year-olds to be creative, learn sequencing skills, develop phonemic awareness, use their imaginations, develop listening skills, and work with rhymes and language. Children and teachers alike will love the creative, fun activities that enrich any classroom experience!
Creative Resources for the Early Childhood Classroom
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Early childhood educators around the world use this best seller to plan daily curriculum and classroom activities. The book contains 76 different themes ranging from Ants to Zoo Animals, presented in alphabetical order.
Do You Know the Muffin Man?
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Rhyme, rhythm, and music are an essential part of a quality early childhood program. The authors of the perennial favorite, Where is Thumbkin? have created activities children will love to accompany the 250 rhymes and songs in this invaluable new literacy book. Children learn letter recognition, vocabulary, phonemic awareness while they are singing and rhyming. Each rhyme or song includes theme connections so teachers can easily add literacy and music into their daily plans.
