Bringing books to life by extending the reading experience with a craft or art project is a great way to use books with your child. There are no better books to do this with than books about art and artists. Not only are you sharing a book with your children, but you are also exposing them to famous artists and works of art.
Here are four great books about artists plus simple art projects you can do with your children after reading them.
Read About Henri Matisse
Snail Trail: In Search of a Modern Masterpiece, by Jo Saxton, will introduce your child to a number of famous pieces of modern art through a cute and engaging story about a snail looking for just the right piece of art to call his home.
Make Your Own Matisse
Collect bright colored paper, scissors, a canvas, and glue. Cut the paper into intricate shapes, place on the canvas, and glue on.
Read About Claude Monet
Linnea in Monet's Garden, by Christina Bjork, is all about a little girl who visits Monet’s garden at Giverny. This book immerses the reader into the world of Claude Monet.
Make Your Own Monet
Grab a clipboard, paint brush, ice cube tray filled with liquid paints, and paper. Go outside and paint nature just the way that Monet and the other Impressionists did.
Read About Jackson Pollock
Action Jackson, by Jan Greenburg, captures the movement and action that defines Jackson Pollock’s paintings while explaining the artistic process to readers.
Make Your Own Pollock
You will need to go outside for this project, but it’s well worth it. Get a big piece of paper, paint, large paint brushes, and something to hold the paper down so it doesn’t blow away. Fling, splatter, and pour paint on the paper canvas until it looks just right.
Read About Georges Seurat
Katie’s Sunday Afternoon, by James Mayhew, is part of a great series of books in which Katie dives into famous paintings to learn more about the works and the artists who paint them. In this one, she jumps into Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Make Your Own Seurat
This simple art project uses things you already have for a great art lesson. Show your child how Seurat’s paintings are made up of little dots. Now, using felt tip markers and plain white paper, have your child create a painting based on what he did on a recent Sunday afternoon. The catch is that he must use the Pointillist method to do so.