Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
One very special harmonica changes the lives of three hurting children in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Friedrich in Germany is the first to find the harmonica. It brings him hope and courage as he fights for his music, his dream, and his father, under Hitler’s regime. Then Mike in Pennsylvania discovers the harmonica. It gives... Continue Reading →
What fascinates me is how author Laura Marx Fitzgerald can write such compelling books and interest me in art at the same time. I thought Blue Balliett did a fairly good job merging art and plot in her books Chasing Vermeer, etc. Laura Marx Fitzgerald takes it to another level. I enjoyed Under the Egg,... Continue Reading →
This delightful picture book follows a girl, her little brother and her grandmother as they tour the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Little do they know that the girl's balloon, left in the care of the photographer outside the Gallery, is leading the photographer, and a growing group of people on a chase around the... Continue Reading →
Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look and illustrated by Meilo So tells the story of Wu Daozi, one of China's greatest painters. As with all historical great figures, his story has been enlarged and exaggerated, although his artistic ability was not. Look writes a fictional account of Daozi's life, based upon references in Chinese... Continue Reading →
I am not a fan of poetry. I admit it, loud and clear! In fact, I probably would never read my children poetry, except that it's scheduled into Sonlight, the home school curriculum we use. And thankfully it is. A Child's Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll is a relatively new offering by Sonlight. I... Continue Reading →
I've already written about how much my girls and I love the Madeline books, but I think the newest Madeline book deserves some attention of its own. You're thinking, "Newest Madeline book? I thought the author, Ludwig Bemelmans, died a long time ago." Yes, he did. Yes, there were only a few Madeline books. But... Continue Reading →
Mike Venezia has written over two dozen very engaging books about famous artists in his series Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists. Each book in the series focuses on one particular artist, from Botticelli to Andy Warhol, from Monet to Jackson Pollock and many in between. Venezia does a great job of telling readers... Continue Reading →
Before Fancy Nancy, girls fell in love with Madeline. Girls still love Madeline - and for good reason. Ludwig Bemelmans created Madeline after he moved to the United States and became a US citizen. Bemelmans wrote and illustrated several Madeline books, most of which take place in Paris, France. Children love the lilting rhyme of... Continue Reading →
Colleen Carroll has created treasures for parents who wish to teach their children about art - especially those who don't know much about art themselves. Her series of books titled How Artists See... give parents and children a common vocabulary with which to discuss paintings. Each two-page spread focuses on a different painting and guides... Continue Reading →
A Child's Book of Art is an over-sized, hardback book for children. In it, Lucy Micklethwait has selected words and works of art which describe those words. For example, one two-page spread is titled "The Seasons." To illustrate spring, Micklethwait chose Spring by Claude Monet. For summer, she chose Wheatfield with Reaper by Vincent van... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 