Submitted by: Executive Director Joan Wabschall
There is no shortage of children’s books that have Art as the subject matter.
The book that I believe is the essence of ‘Inspire Your Heart with Art” day is the first children’s book written by Michael Hall, My Heart is Like a Zoo.
In My Heart is Like a Zoo, the storyline is all in rhyme. The author describes the many feelings that a heart holds and compares those feelings to zoo animals. For each feeling, the author uses bold, graphic artwork to create the animal out of a heart shape. If you like arts and crafts and want to add an interactive component to the book, the book holds many good templates for making animals out of hearts. Pre-school children will love it!
Other favorite children’s books about art include:
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. This story was written in 1955, but remains a favorite. Harold is a curious 4 year old boy, who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it.
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. In this book, three mice on a white piece of paper scurry into jars of paint and enjoy a colorful romp. The book teaches children about primary and secondary colors.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. The little girl in this book thinks she cannot draw. When she places a dot on a paper and signs it, her teacher frames it and hangs it in her office. When she sees the framed dot, she decides she can make better dots. The book shows that not only can anything be art, but anyone can be an artist.
How will you be inspired today?