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Picture books are the perfect medium to celebrate artists and art, because picture books are art and the illustrators who help make them are artists. Picture books about artists can expose readers to the lives, styles, and significant contributions of real-life artists, and the illustrations can bring their works of art to life on the page. Fictional picture books can tell stories about the importance of art and help children (and adults!) tap into their own imaginations and creativity.
Ursula K. Le Guin said, “The creative adult is the child who survived.” But in order to survive, to keep our creative impulses alive, we must value art and artists. Picture books about artists are one way to help make that happen. Assembled here are five of my favorite picture books about artists. There are stories to introduce readers to the artists Yayoi Kusama and Alma Thomas; a story featuring a childlike dinosaur creature with many lessons to learn about valuing their own art, even when it isn’t perfect; a beautiful tale about art transcending language barriers and building family connections; and a manifesto of sorts about art that makes me tear up every time I read it to my baby.
I hope you love these picture books about artists as much as I do.
Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Loveis Wise
Alma Thomas may not be as familiar as artists like Monet and Michelangelo, but that’s all the more reason for readers of all ages to pick up this picture book and learn about her fascinating, art-filled life. Alma didn’t become a full-time artist until she was almost seventy. But she became the first Black woman to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum in New York City and the first to have a piece in the White House collection. Her story honors the power of creation and imagination in the face of racial injustice. And the illustrations and information at the back of the book provide more details about her artistic style and significance.
The Artist by Ed Vere
This story about an adorable multicolored, dinosaur-like creature is a manifesto for children making art. Throughout the book, this creature makes her drab, gray city more colorful through her own creations. The narrator uses her child-like paintings to accompany discussions of common pitfalls like coloring outside the lines, not being able to explain your drawing, or making mistakes. Instead of only spotlighting artists who are considered geniuses or even, perfect, The Artist proclaims that everyone’s art is beautiful, joyful, and important!
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Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki, illustrated by Ellen Weinstein
Written by a curator of the Musuem of Modern Art, this story imagines famous artist Yayoi Kusama as a child who wants to cover the world in polka dots. When she grows up, that is what she does. She creates paintings and sculptures covered in dots and takes them all over the world. Some people appreciate her artwork. And some people don’t. But Yayoi Kusama continues to create through criticism, loneliness, and every circumstance life throws at her.
Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat
At first, the boy in this story is frustrated when he visits his grandfather. The boy speaks English and his grandpa speaks Thai. As much as they try, they literally cannot understand each other. But when the boy starts doodling a wizard, his grandpa gets his own sketchbook and draws a Thai version of a wizard. The two begin a conversation through their art. For the first time, they understand each other’s perspective, and they begin a shared story together through their drawings. Art becomes the thing that both connects them and helps them work through their differences.
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