°ÅÀÖÊÓƵ

It’s OK to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes can lead to adventures in creativity. That’s the delightful lesson of Beautiful Oops!

Perfect for: Kids who make mistakes.

Find at your local library.

Biography of the fauve French artist and brilliant colorist, with beautiful reproductions and kid-friendly explorations of his masterpieces. If Matisse isn’t your absolute favorite, the Art for Children series offers fifteen other books that analyze famous painters. Picasso? Van Gogh? Michelangelo? Rembrandt? Buy them all for your budding da Vinci.

Perfect for: Kids who like to read about real people.

Find at your local library.

Georgia O’Keeffe is an eccentric girl who sees the world with unique vision. As she emerges as an artist, she moves from New York’s stark purple skyscrapers to New Mexico’s landscape of bleached bones, cactus flowers, and lonely red desert. Poetic text accompanies the luscious simplicity of her masterpieces in this homage to creative motivation and discipline.

Perfect for: Kids who like arts.

Find at your local library.

Amusing biography of Van Gogh’s tumultuous career and personal life, written as a child’s school report. The text is easy to read with boyish vernacular and viewpoints, funny cartoons juxtaposed with Impressionist masterpieces. Vincent’s close friendship with his brother Theo is strongly emphasized. Supremely kid friendly.

Perfect for: Kids who like to read about real people.

Find at your local library.

On a rainy day, three kids find a bag of chalk in the neighborhood park. Magic erupts! Every picture they draw springs to life. Their sun shines brightly, their butterflies flutter, their tyrannosaurus is terrifying. Photo-realism jumps off the page in this witty tribute to the transformational energy of imagination.

Perfect for: Kids who like fantasy stories.

Find at your local library.

“In pictures, you can make up stories about people…” The author encourages examination of narrative paintings from the New York Museum of Modern Art, where he’s director of education. What is happening in the painting? What happened before, or after? How is the story told? Includes Chagall, Wyeth, Magritte, Lichtenstein, and other artists.

Perfect for: Kids who like arts.

Find at your local library.

Why does Emma enjoy staring at that old, fuzzy, white rug? In kindergarten, her amazing paintings win contests. Where does Emma get her visions? Her mother washes the filthy mat, and Emma’s muse is ruined. Art often springs from humble sources, we realize. Muted watercolors convey Emma’s emotional depth.

Perfect for: Kids who like arts.

Find at your local library.

Jazz couplets and vivid watercolors introduce the reader to musical sounds, instruments, and vocabulary — from solo to chamber orchestra. Gender equity is promoted: half of the eccentric players are women, including the trombonist. The book is also a counting exercise, and it’s so fun your kids will shout, “Encore!”

Perfect for: Kids who like music.

Find at your local library.

Gleeful tale about a perfect square that is drastically altered. What if you’re rudely folded, cut, or have holes poked out of your body? Our hero makes the best of every situation, using his daily dissection to become a bridge, a game, or a window that sees the wonderful world outside. Positively transformational!

Perfect for: Kids who like to be challenged.

Find at your local library.

Ole! Jose migrates to the U.S. as a child, but memories of Mexico are visualized in his dances. This lyric bio praises the tenacity of a boy who is teased in school for clumsy English, and later, his struggles as a dancer. Passion and perseverance help Jose reach his dream. Bravo!

Perfect for: Kids who like to read about real people.

Find at your local library.