Follow Us
Style Instagram
Style Twitter
Style Facebook

Books Bring Artful Discoveries

Cultivate your children’s creativity with these stories about the arts.

Picture Books

“Norman’s First Day at Dino Day Care”
written and illustrated by Sean Julian

It’s Norman’s first day at Dino Day Care. Surely that’s enough reason to feel shy. Norman does what he does best: He makes himself invisible. Eventually, he manages to find his courage with a little help from a new friend and a hint of magic.

“When Nana Dances”
by Jane Yolen and Maddison Stemple-Piatt, illustrated by Priscilla Burris

Nothing is more special than when Nana dances with her grandchildren. This lively story will leap off the pages and into the hearts of kids and their grandparents alike as it celebrates intergenerational relationships in rhyming text.

“Paint Lab for Kids”
written and photographed by Stephanie Corfee

Explore 52 creative adventures in painting and mixed media for budding artists of all ages.

Early Readers

“Yasmin the Painter”
by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly

Yasmin’s painting for the art contest is due soon, but she is not feeling confident and is always making a mess. Will Yasmin find the inspiration to create a style all her own? Find out in this own-voices book for young readers.

“Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin”
by Tracy Newman, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

This picture book biography will inspire young readers to follow the melody within. Learn about Itzhak Perlman, a boy with a dream who became an internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso.

“Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion” (The Questioneers Book 3)
by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Iggy Peck is an architect at heart whose dreams are filled with designs. When Ada Twist’s aunt inherits an architectural dream house, Iggy and the Questioneers must solve the mystery of the missing antiques to save the mansion and its treasures. This book is an ideal read for ages 7 to 10.

Middle Readers

“The Art of the Swap”
by Kristine Carlson Asselin and Jen Malone

“Freaky Friday” meets “Downton Abbey” in this middle-grade mystery featuring a modern day 12-year-old youth switching bodies with a Gilded Age heiress to solve a famous art heist.

“Fantastic Frame”
series by Lin Oliver

When Tiger Brooks and his family move into a new home, he sees strange things at the house next door. When he and his new neighbor, Luna Lopez, investigate, they discover a mysterious lady and her magical golden frame through which they can enter the world’s greatest paintings.
Book 1: “Danger! Tiger Crossing”
Book 2: “Splat! Another Messy Sunday”
Book 3: “Beware! Shadows in the Night”
Book 4: “Look Out! Ghost Mountain Below”
Book 5: “Warning! Journey to Forever”

“Squint”
by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

“Squint” is the inspiring story of two new friends dealing with challenges who learn to trust each other, believe in themselves and begin to truly see what matters most.

Teens

“Tahira in Bloom”
by Farah Heron

Seventeen-year-old aspiring designer Tahira Janmohammad is devastated when her fashion internship falls through and disappointed that she’ll be spending the summer working at her aunt’s boutique in a small town. Forced to team up with the irritating gardener next door, Rowan, for a design contest, Tahira finally begins to bloom in the most unlikely of circumstances. This sweet own-voices rom-com is a story of self-discovery and growth.

​“Catch the Light”
by Kate Sweeney

Almost a year after her father passes away, Mary’s life is turned upside down again when she, her sister and her mom relocate from Los Angeles to upstate New York for a fresh start. Burdened by her grief and struggling to accept her new life, Mary turns to photography to help her process the world around her. Torn between the past and the present, old plans and new, this tender and relatable story follows Mary as she fights to find her place in the world and decide what she really wants.