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Youth Art Month Book Picks March 2006
By Sandy Meagher
Recently I shared a very special experience I had in the library with my friend and colleague, Jack Burcher, our art teacher.
To read Sandy Meagher's related article Don't Hesitate, Collaborate click here
A third grade girl came into the library and asked, "Do you have any books on Van Gogh?" "Sure," I told her, "we have several. What did she want to know about Van Gogh?" She proceeded to tell me that her art teacher had shown her the beautiful sunflowers and she loved painting in this style. Also, her wish was to see a real Van Gogh. I had a tremendous feeling of "Wow." Here we are in rural America and our art teacher has inspired an eight-year-old to appreciate Van Gogh, paint in that style, read more about the artist's life and eventually see a "real" masterpiece. It doesn't get better than that. Here are some books with which to inspire your young artists:
- Great for primaries is A is for Artist: An Alphabet by Ella Doran (Abrams, 2004, ISBN: 1-854-37556-3). Preschool and kindergarten students will identify with the bright colors and the variety of art forms used such as finger paint and collage.
- Books in which children have to search and find objects continue to be popular, and appeal to readers and non-readers alike. Two new such books, by Jessica Schulte, are Can You Find It Outside? (Abrams, 2005, ISBN: 0-810-95795-7) and Can You Find It Inside? (Abrams, 2005, ISBN: 0-810-95794-9). Each page is a beautiful reproduction of famous art. For example "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by Grant Wood is on one page and a simply rhymed poem is on the opposite page.
- Scrapbooking is ever-popular among adults and students alike. A super book to use as a model is Zoe Sophia's Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice by Claudia Mauner and Elisa Smalley (Chronicle Books, 2003, ISBN: 0-811-83606-1). Each day of Zoe Sophia's visit is journaled and includes ticket stubs, drawings and souvenirs.
- Another scrapbook offering, and a great gift for a young person, is My Missmatched Life: A Marvelous, Zany, Kooky, Fabulous Scrapbook by Leslie Jonath (Chronicle Books, 2006.ISBN: 0-811-85108-7). The book is a consumable, not for library borrowing, but great for young people to write secrets, tell about friends, take to sleepovers and be creative.
- Since 2005 was an anniversary year for Hans Christian Andersen, we must remember to read and reread his wonderful fairy tales but always introduce his paper cuttings with the remarkable book The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen by Beth Wagner Brust (Houghton Mifflin, 1994, ISBN: 0-395-66787-9). Students could try some easy paper cuts in art class. They make great gifts for parents. The paper cuttings could then be matched with original writing.
To read Sandy Meagher's related article Don't Hesitate, Collaborate click here
Sandy Meagher is the Library Department Chairperson and School Librarian in the Wayne Highlands School District, Honesdale, PA.
