Handout - Good Books for Art Education

Book list for art education lessons – 

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold (good for a "storyquilts" project) 

Katie’s Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew 

My name is Georgia by Jeanette Winter 

Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules by True Kelly (Smart about art series) 

Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors by Keesia Johnson and Jane O’Connor (Smart about Art series)

Georgia’s Bones by Jen Bryant 

The Pot that Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel 

Why is Blue Dog Blue? A tale of Colors By George Rodriguez 

Suzette and the Puppy: A story about Mary Cassatt by Joan Sweeney 

Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail by Laurence Anholt 

The Cave Painter of Lascaux by Roberta Angeletti 

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt 

Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall by Michelle Markel 

Art Dog by Thacher Hurd 

Frida by Jonah Winter 

Klimt and His Cat by Berenice Capatti 

The Yellow House by Susan Goldman Rubin 

When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden 

Roberto the Insect Architect by Nina Laden 

Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan 

The Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence (middle school reference) 

Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt 

Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt 

The Most Magnificent Mosque by Ann Jungman and Shelly Fowles 

Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt 

The Dot by Peter Reynolds (for anyone who doubts they can make art) 

In My Family/En Mi Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza 

The Essential Series: Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt (each book features one artist) 

Ish by Peter M Reynolds

Sky Color by Peter M Reynolds

Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

 Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

 Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

 Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni

 White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker

 Round Trip by Ann Jonas

 Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty

 Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

 Lines that Wiggle by Candace Whitman

 A Book About Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists by Mark Gonyea

 I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy Micklethwait

 The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla

 The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla

 Magritte’s Marvelous Hat by DB Johnson

 Any books by David Wiesner

Any books by Molly Bang

Any books by Lois Ehlert

Any books by Bob Raczka

Any books by Ed Emberley

Any books by Laurence Anholt

Any books by Graeme Base

Any books by Eric Carle

Any books by Margaret Wise Brown

Any books by Leo Lionni

This list is not complete by any means but it gives you a starting point and a fun way to introduce art into your classroom.