Ready or not the new school yr is upon us. Rosters are ready, schedules are made, and curriculums are being finalized. Every bit fine art teachers nosotros have an countless amount of resources that nosotros can pull from to supplement our education. Nosotros can find inspiration from nature, media, art history, core curriculum, graphic design, books and more! Books play such a vital function of a child's education and can add huge value to what you are education in your art room.

I love reading children'due south books to my students in art course. I use them as introductions to fabric I am about to teach or as an endcap to finish up or supplement a project. There are so many bang-up children's books geared toward art and new ones continue to hit the shelves every yr. It is hard to narrow downward my list of favorites but here is my Acme 12 Fine art Books that are must-haves for me each school year. I promise you lot find them as a great addition to your armory if you don't already use them!



Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
 Suitable for pre-school to 1st form

This is an older archetype but I beloved information technology! This volume is a nifty improver to an introductory lesson on how the secondary colors are fabricated. It's a tale of 3 piddling white mice who discover some jars of "mouse paint" to play in. When they get out of the paint, the mice begin to play in each other's paint puddles and notice the new secondary colors that are made from mixing the paint together.

Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 5

This book is a must have staple for every fine art room! Non only does it have an of import message for any art class, the pages in this book are a masterpiece in itself. The pages are thick and sturdy with places to open up, flip up, and pull out equally it stunningly illustrates the lesson that "when you think yous take made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to brand something beautiful." And this book is merely that, beautiful.

What Makes a Rainbow? By Betty Ann Schwartz
 Suitable for preschool to 1st grade

This is my "go-to" volume for teaching the rainbow to my youngest students. In this story Little Rabbit asks his mother what makes a rainbow. Mama Rabbit responds by encouraging Little Rabbit to ask his friends. Piddling Rabbit discovers what makes a rainbow by request his friends and with the turn of each page an actual ribbon rainbow is created at the top of the pages. This cute story is topped with a popular up rainbow on the last page making the entire book a site to encounter. The embellishments added to the pages are such a fun way to prove younger students how to make a rainbow.

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 5

Equally art teachers we accept all seen that pupil who doesn't call back they are good at art. This story is wonderful tale of a fiddling daughter named Vashti who didn't think she could draw. With the encouragement of her art teacher, Vashti made a marking on her paper and so signed it. The next calendar week when Vashti returns to art form she discovers her signed paper with a dot on information technology was framed and hanging to a higher place the teacher'south desk. This begins a journey for Vashti where she discovers she can make art by just painting a dot and seeing where it takes her. By the finish of the book Vashti is fifty-fifty encouraging another discouraged student that he too tin be an artist.

Ish past Peter H. Reynolds
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – v

I love Peter H. Reynolds and his work besides much to just include one of his books. Ish is another corking tale of a little boy named Ramon who becomes discouraged when he thinks he tin can't describe. With the help of his sister, Ramon discovers that his art doesn't have to exist perfect as long equally he is doing his best. By the terminate of the story he realizes that "ish" fine art can be simply every bit wonderful.

Snail Trail by Jo Saxton
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 3

In this book y'all will follow an art-loving snail on a journey to finding the famous artist whose artwork looks similar him. Equally the snail travels through the story he comes across various famous works of art and teaches the reader how to compare the way he looks to the artwork in the illustrations. This book is an easy read with rhyming words and perfect prompts for comparing and contrasting the snail to some of the classic famous works of fine art. This book is a great addition to whatsoever fine art room and a bully supplement to a lesson on Henri Matisse.

Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 5

If you are teaching a lesson on Henri Matisse, this book is a must-accept. It is a beautifully written story on the life and artwork of Henri Matisse. His life and career every bit an artist offers a dandy lesson on never giving up regardless what obstacles yous may face and this book conveys that bulletin perfectly.

When a Line Bends a Shape Begins by Rhonda Gowler Greene
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – ane

I dearest using this book to teach virtually the formation of shapes from lines. It provides wonderful real life examples where students tin can see the various shapes that objects are made of and what lines are used to create those shapes. This book is applied and easy for younger students to understand.

When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden
 Suitable for grades one-5

In this story, Pigasso is a pig who portrays the artistic qualities of Picasso and Mootisse is a cow who portrays the artistic qualities of Matisse. Pigasso and Mootisse develop a rivalry that creates a lot of tension between them. But, somewhen they realize that putting their differences bated and being friends is more important. This book is bully for teaching nearly artistic styles. Throughout the book the two characters create artwork containing the same subject affair that artistically await very different making it easy to bear witness variations in the styles of painting.

Bridget'due south Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 3

This is a cute story about a little daughter named Bridget who loves to describe. Bridget had lots of fine art supplies merely her most of import ane was her black beret. 1 twenty-four hours Bridget'southward beret was blown abroad in the wind. Without her beret she feels she tin can no longer create her art, until i day she discovers her inspiration in art isn't based on her black beret afterward all.

Willow by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 3

If you teach art you demand to have this book. It not merely has a valuable lesson for students but also for teachers. In this story Miss Hawthorn is an art teacher with pretty rigorous expectations for what kind of artwork her students should produce. She expected all her students to make the same kind of pictures. Until one day, i of her students named Willow, showed her the power of using her imagination and then Miss Hawthorn realized what comes from letting go and creating artwork that is different and unique.

My Many Colored Days past Dr. Seuss
 Suitable for grades Kindergarten – 2

Who doesn't love a practiced Dr. Seuss book? This ane is perfect for the art room! It is a swell story most moods and feelings and how colors can be used to convey various feelings. With the usual Dr. Seuss rhyme and fun expressive illustrations, information technology is great addition to any art room.