International Children’s Book Day is celebrated annually on April 2. Although I no longer teach lower grades, I used to LOVE incorporating literature with my art lesson plans! I have two lists below, one of art-specific children’s books, and ones that I have used to accompany lesson plans. Keep posted to see what elementary lesson plans I have used them with as I update my lesson plan section over the next upcoming months!
Art Children’s (school-aged) Books:
- The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
- Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
- The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock
- Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock
- Vincent Can’t Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky by Barb Rosenstock
- Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
- Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork
- I am Marc Chagall: Text Loosely Inspired by My Life by Marc Chagall by Bimba Landmann
- Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- Kid’s Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler
- Love from the Crayons by Drew Dewalt
- The Crayon’s Book of Colors by Drew Dewalt
- The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Dewalt
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Dewalt
- Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
- Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
- Cassie’s Word Quilt by Faith Ringgold
- Counting to Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
- Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
- The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet by Giancarlo Ascari
- Chagall: My Sad and Joyous Village by Jacqueline Loumaye
- Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
- Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
- Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter
- My Museum by Joanne Liu
- Monet and The Waterlilly Friends by Judiee
- Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
- Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring
- Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
- Tell Us a Story, Papa Chagall by Laurence Anholt
- A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
- Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
- Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall by Michelle Markel
- Frida Kahlo and Her Anamalitos by Monica Brown
- How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney
- Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
- The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
- El Punto (Spanish Edition) by Esther Rubio and Peter H. Reynolds
- The Museum by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
- Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki
- Artists and their Pets: True Stories of Famous Artists and their Animal Friends by Susie Hodge
- The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola
Books that go great with art lessons:
- Chickadee’s Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
- Any Eric Carle Book
- Pete the Cat books by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
- Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
- If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
- Planting A Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
- Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker
- Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore
Art Baby Books:
- Goodnight, Starry Night by Amy Guglielmo
- My First Book of Patterns by Bobby & June George
- Art Baby: Hearts and Stars by Chez Picthall
- Art Baby: Spots and Dots by Chez Picthall
- The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
- Blue and Other Colors: With Henri Matisse by Henri Matisse
- Press Here by Herve Tullet
- This Little Artist: An Art History Primer by Joan Holub
- Mini French Masters by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
- Mini Masters Boxed Set by Julie Merberg
- Painting with Picasso by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
- 100 First Words for Little Artists by Kyle Kershner
- Frida Kahlo (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vergara
- Museum ABC by The NY Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Andy Warhol So Many Stars by Mudpuppy and Andy Warhol
- Keith Haring Pop Art 123! by Mudpuppy and Keith Haring
- Little Artist Board Book Set by Mudpuppy and Emily Kleinman
- My First Shapes with Frank Lloyd Wright by Mudpuppy
- Pop Art Baby! My First Words with Keith Haring from Mudpuppy
- Pantone: Colors by Pantone and Helen Dark
- Counting with Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein
- My First Art Book by Patricio
- ABC’s of Art by Sabrina Hahn
- Art For Baby from Templar
Do you have any books that you use that aren’t on this list? I’d love to hear from you: imperfectlypatricia@gmail.com
ImperfectlyPatricia 