All Ages:
Books by Laurence Anholt, who penned several children's books about famous artists including Monet, Degas, Picasso and van Gogh.
Books by David Macaulay, whose books have won numerous awards and honors including the Caldecott Medal, about different kinds of architecture and construction…from Cathedral, to Castle, to Pyramid and City.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. By E. L. Konigsburg. Claudia and Jamie run away from home and wind up living at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There they are privy to the introduction of a new statue and immediately are suspicious of its authenticity.
Art & Max. By David Wiesner. Art & Max is the story of two artists: Art, a collared lizard who is studiously painting a portrait when we first meet him, and Max, who has just picked up paints and brushes and is ready to go. What follows is a magical journey of explosive color–brilliantly highlighted by the desert background—where acrylic paints, watercolor, and line drawings, are deconstructed and re-invented, and Art undergoes a Jackson Pollack-like transformation.
Younger readers:
Chalk. By Bill Thomson. In this wordless picture book, three young children arrive at the park to find a bag of colored chalk that turns their imaginary drawings into something very real.
Grandma’s Gift. By Eric Velasquez. This personal tale is based on the author’s special relationship with his grandmother, who influenced his dream of becoming an artist. Belpré Illustrator Award
Middle readers:
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. By Laban Carrick Hill. Poetic text and lush illustrations tell the true story of an extraordinary artist living in 19th-century South Carolina. Caldecott Honor Book & ALA Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
Older readers:
Ship Breaker. By Paolo Bacigalupi. Nailer, a teenage scavenger, works to take apart ancient oil tankers in a future world where he must choose between harvesting riches or saving a girl. YALSA Printz Medal
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