Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when he grows up. -- Pablo Picasso

BOOK LIST & CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

This is by no means an exhaustive list.  It is ever growing.  Feel free to email your suggestions or additions.  Also, bear in mind, the list is not organized by developmental level.  Some of the books are more suitable for younger toddlers, while others will appeal to preschoolers and young school-aged children.  Happy reading!

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (self-image, feelings, art as self-expression, color identification)

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss (sensory awareness - sound)

Frederick by Leo Lionni (feelings, self-expression, appreciation of art)

Matthew’s Dream by Leo Lionni (appreciation of art, self-expression)

Swimmy by Leo Lionni  (self-esteem, social skills, feelings)

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni (self-image, self-esteem)Quick As a Cricket by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood (self-image, self-concept, self-esteem)

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle (self-concept, self-esteem)

Little Cloud by Eric Carle (nature, art and shapes/textures)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (nature, springtime, art/beauty)

Waiting For Wings by Lois Ehlert (nature, springtime, art/beauty)

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert (nature, winter)

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf or Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (nature, autumn)

Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott (Also, Grow Flower Grow) (Nature, springtime)

Will You Be My Friend? by Nancy Tafuri (Social Skills, friendship, caring, also nature, springtime)

Nino’s Mask by Jeanette Winter (cultural awareness)

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (nature, winter)

The Leopard’s Drum by Jessica Souhami (cultural awareness, sensory - sound)

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal(nature, cultural awareness, sensory - sound)

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown (appreciation of art/color concepts)

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh (sensory awareness, color concepts)

Wake-Up Big Barn by Chitwood (nature, appreciation of art/collage and torn paper  technique)

Tails by Matthew van Fleet, or other “touch and feel” books (sensory awareness)

Have You Seen Trees? by Joanne Oppenheim, illustrated by Jean Tseng and Mou-Sien Tseng (nature, seasonal awareness, trees as metaphor for self-image)

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up In A Ball by Vicki Churchill, illustrated by Charles Fuge (feelings, self-expression)

Good Bread:  A Book of Thanks by Brigitte Weninger, Illustrated by Anne Moller (sensory awareness, nature)

A Cow, a Bee, a Cookie, and Me by Meredith Hooper, illustrated by Alison Bartlett (sensory awareness, nature, cooking concepts)

Blue Bowl Down:  An Appalachian Rhyme by C.M. Millen, Illustrated by Holly Meade (sensory awareness, cultural awareness/family traditions)

Bunny Cakes By Rosemary Wells (sensory awareness)

The Forest by Claire Nivola (feelings/fears, nature)

Out of the Ocean by Debra Frasier (nature)

One Potato:  A Counting Book of Potato Prints by Diana Pomeroy (number concepts, appreciation of printing technique, healthy foods)

Books about/by Famous Artists for young children:

Tar Beach by Faith Ringold

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt

Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt

My favorite authors, for their beautiful artwork and engaging stories for young children

(Just a few of their books are listed above; there are many more from which to choose):

Eric Carle • Lois Ehlert • Leo Lionni

 

Contact: 703-264-0407 artinhand@cox.net