Art Books to Inspire Preschoolers

Teaching art to preschoolers doesn’t have to be all about fingerpaints and crayons. These inspiring art books for preschoolers are tremendous for teaching all of the different aspects of art. Even young preschool students can appreciate the varied styles and techniques of some of the world’s most famous artists. These gorgeous picture books help explain the material at the preschool level!

That’s not to say that giving students free rein of the easel doesn’t have merit. Process art is one of the most beneficial activities for young learners. However, showing them different techniques that they can later apply to their imaginative creations helps them grow and expand. Children build off of what they see and what they learn. A child that becomes fascinated by Matisse might apply what they’ve learned with the scissors and glue to make a collage. A student stamping with paper towel tubes can channel their inner Kandinsky. The fingerprinting fanatic swirls the paint like Van Gogh. Giving preschool students exposure to these famous artists encourages them to try different ideas and even come up with their own.

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Art Books about Visiting the Museum

Preschool students might not even know what a museum is! These books introduce the concept and are fantastic for a lesson before a field trip or lesson on artists. Start with some of these amazing choices:

• Mayhem at the Museum: A Book in Pictures by Luciano Lozano
• Luna Loves Art by Joseph Coehlo
• My Museum by Joanne Liu
• Anna at the Art Museum by Hazel Hutchins
• The Museum by Susan Verde

Art Books about Famous Artists

Artists are always developing new methods and mediums through exploration. These art books focus on different artists to help young learners embrace different styles such as collage, pop art, and impressionism while keeping students engaged.

• The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
• Uncle Andy’s Cats by James Warhola
• Frida by Jonah Winter
• Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter
• Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry by Fausto Gilberti
• Andy Warhol What Colors Do You See? by Mudpuppy
• Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

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Books to Inspire the Inner Artist

There are numerous quotes about the courage it takes to be an artist. Courage to experiment, dabble, make mistakes, and turn them into masterpieces – it is like being an explorer! These beautiful books help encourage students to take chances and find their own artistic style.

• I Am an Artist by Marta Altés
• I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
• Ellie by Mike Wu
• Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
• Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg

Additional Resources

Here are a few additional resources on Art in the Preschool Classroom:

Maryann F. Kohl on Creativity in the Preschool Classroom: http://brightring.com/about-creativity/fostering-creativity/

NAEYC on Process Art: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2014/process-art-experiences

Looking for lesson plans on colors? Here is an entire 10 days’ worth of lessons, ready to print and use!

Here are even more ideas to bring a splash of creativity to the classroom!

Have fun playing and learning – and creating – with your students today!

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