And when you draw a situation—someone is scared or angry or happy—it means the same thing in all cultures.
—Marjane Satrapi
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OUR WOMEN ARTIST BOOK FEATURE
Women Artists A to Z (Labarge & Corrigan) was JUST released in February 2020! I LOVE the artists featured in this all-ages picture book. There are excellent snapshot-bios with conversation starters in the back of the book as well. We will also be using this text as we practice distance learning in the upcoming weeks…
Check it out here—https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622604/women-artists-a-to-z-by-melanie-labarge-illustrated-by-caroline-corrigan/
LOOK HERE FOR SOME STORIES THAT ARE JUST FANTASTIC!
ART PROJECT IDEAS:
Start With Art: Animals
by Sue Lacey
This book provides you with many creative projects to inspire you over the weekend! You can design and create many animals using common household items such as paper towel rolls, old buttons, pa
per clips and string. And look, you will be recycling too! Be sure to tell Mr. Leki about your “reuse” of those throwaway items around the house. This book is available at Sulzer Regional Library.
Discovering Great Artists
by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Kim Solga
Kind of a teacher’s book but has great art projects for you! You can practice making art in the styles of many famous artists using this book. See Mrs. Vecchioni if you want to use this book to make some art over the weekend.
Good Earth Art: Environmental Art For Kids
by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Cindy Gainer
This easy project book is a great resource for Saturday morning art activities. Many of the materials needed to make these artworks are recycled or found objects. A great way to promote global citizenship and make purposeful art together as a family!
Ages: PreK-2nd grade
Drawing With Children
by Mona Brookes
An art education classic! This book is the book for you—if you are interested in building your creativity, talent and skill with just a few simple exercises. A great book for both beginners and those who want to learn new art techniques. Stop by room 305 and show me your “before & after” projects!
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GREAT STORIES:
Family Pictures
by Carmen Lomas Garza
Illustrated by Carmen Lomas Garza
A splendid book! Ms. Garza tells us stories about growing up that are both very interesting and often read like folktales. This is also a great reference for narrative painting and narrative writing. One of my favorite books of all time!
This Land is My Land
by George Littlechild
This story talks like a poem. Mr. Littlechild takes great pride in his Native American heritage and provides many “think pieces” for children and adults alike. And his artwork is fabulous!
Colors of India
by Colors of the World Series
Learn all about the traditions, daily life and history of India in this great book—all through talking about colors. There are many books in this series that share the globe with us. Other Colors of the World titles are: Australia, Israel, Ghana, Russia, Japan, Navajo, Mexico, China & Kenya.
When Pigasso Met Mootise
by Nina Laden
A very funny tale about how two stubborn personalities can come together to resolve their conflicts in order to do something very creative. A whimsical story that celebrates differences and friendship.
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ORAL HISTORIES AND NARRATIVE PAINTING:
Honoring Our Ancestors
by Harriet Rohmer
This is a great book that demonstrates the art of narrative painting and narrative writing in a concise and evocative one page format. Fourteen artists from around the globe share family stories, cultural myths and personal adages through pictures and words.
A great resource for 5th-8th grades.
Just Like Me
by Harriet Rohmer
Fourteen artists share their stories about how they chose their career. Great storytelling and a great sampler of narrative self portraits. A companion to Honoring Our Ancestors (many of the same artists are featured).
In My Family
by Carmen Lomas Garza
This is a great companion book to Family Pictures. Both demonstrate a very powerful way to document family history and preserve the oral history tradition. The narrative paintings and bilingual text are true gems!
I Dream of Peace: Images of War by Children of Former Yugoslavia
by James P. Grant
Illustrated by Children’s Images
This is a powerful book for older students. Children use their drawings and poems to document and reflect on the war in Bosnia. This is also a great reference on art therapy in action. Thank you to Emil’s mom for sharing this book with me. It is out of print so ask me if you’d like to see it.
***Some graphic images of war.
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MORE THAN JUST PAINTING:
Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories
by Jan Greenberg
This biography uses Bearden’s one-of-a-kind style of collage to tell us the story of one of the most influential African American artists of all time. We learn about Bearden’s everyday life growing up in Harlem and his amazing journey to become a world-renowned artist in the 20th century. Fabulous visuals and informative text.
Kites: Magic Wishes That Fly Up to the Sky
by Demi
You will learn the history of kite making in China and appreciate the rich cultural significance of this art form. Demi’s gold foil illustrations demonstrate over sixty different kite designs. She also shares each design’s symbolic meaning. This is a great resource to learn about a variety of kite festivals around the world and teaches how to make your own unique kite!
The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer: A Huichol Indian Story
by James Endredy
Traditional Huichol yarn paintings tell Tunuri’s story about being lost in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico and discovering the magical blue deer. You can borrow it from Mrs. Vecchioni!
Dia’s Story Cloth
by Dia Cha & Chiie Thao Cha
Illustrated by Thao Cha
Dia’s personal journey from war-torn Laos to the United States is told through traditional Hmong pa ntaubs (flower cloths). Each page is filled with amazing original flower cloths that illustrate Dia’s migration story and pay tribute to the splendor of the traditional fabric art of the Hmong culture.
Museum ABC
by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Four famhttp://mrsvecchionisartroom.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=401&action=editous works of art illustrate each letter of the alphabet. There is a lot of art history and inspiring artwork in this picture book… This is a book for all ages!
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ALL ABOUT ARTISTS:
Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers
by Dianna Hutts Aston & Susan L. Roth
For over 30 years, outsider artist Simon Rodia transformed broken glass, seashells, pottery, and a dream into a U.S. National Landmark called Watts Towers. Readers learn that you don’t need to go to art school to be an artist and that anything is possible with perseverance and vision in this biography. This is a wonderfully illustrated story (created in collage) told from the perspective of one of the children who helped Mr. Rodia gather his found objects in order to create his towers.
It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw
by Don Tate
This is a great story about the life and art of outsider artist Bill Traylor. He was a former slave who at the age of 83 began to draw pictures on recycled cardboard based on his memories.
My Name is Georgia
by Jeanette Winters
This is a great story for young readers. You will learn how Georgia O’Keeffe decided to become an artist and how she loved to paint the world around her.
The Noisy Paintbox: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art
by Barb Rosenstock
One of our FAVORITE books in the art room! This story tells how Vassily Kandinsky changed how we look at art. He was a risk taker, inventor and person who could hear color and see music!
Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder
by Tanya Lee Stone
A fabulously illustrated story that shares how Alexander Calder came to invent kinetic sculptures called mobiles. We learn about how Alexander traveled the world performing movable miniature circuses for children. Super fun and informative!
Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence
by John Duggleby
Illustrated by Jacob Lawrence
Over twenty-five full-color reproductions of Jacob Lawrence’s artwork tell the story of Mr. Lawrence’s life. His artwork discusses enslavement and freedom, The Great Migration and struggle and hope. An excellent resource for older students.
The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh & Paul Gauguin Side by Side
by Susan Goldman Rubin
A wonderful storybook for intermediate grades. You will learn about two artists who worked together yet created very different styles of art.
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FOLKTALES:
The Fabrics of Fairytale: Stories Spun From Far and Wide
by Tanya Robyn Batt
This great cross-cultural resource shares traditional fairytales from across the globe and includes stories from Armenia, Kenya, China, Hawaii, Sweden, Israel and Indonesia. Each fairytale is inspired by an gorgeous textile from each culture represented. After you read this story, try to make a small quilt square (paper or fabric) and show Mrs. Vecchioni! See me if you’d like to borrow this book.
The Woman Who Outshone The Sun
by Alejandro Cruz Martinez
A great tale from Oaxaca! I’m not going to tell you the story though—check it out from Waters School library! I also have a copy you can borrow!
Pheasant and Kingfisher
by Catherine Berndt and Raymond Meeks
Aboriginal storytellers from Australia share some of their Dreamtime stories in this beautifully illustrated storybook. There are great examples of x-ray style paintings throughout the tale. If you’d like to read this book, come and see me.
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
by Gerald McDermott
Raven is up to his old mischief in this folktale. This tale is full of surprise and adventure as Raven tries to give his people the gift of light. If you like this story, check out other Raven and Coyote (his friend from the Southwest) legends.
