List

Giant sky, brightest blue,

like an artist painted you.

How I wonder, wonder why,

why are you so blue, big sky

Enchanting and educational! This picture book takes the young reader through the arc of the day and answers "Why" in beautiful verse that begs to be read aloud. Pitch-perfect rhyming text from author Lisa Varchol Perron and stunning illustrations from rising-star Nik Henderson combine in an incredible picture book for children to treasure.

Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue or why thunder crackles in the night Wonder Why takes the curious young reader through the arc of a day--from blue skies to rain and thunder, a rainbow, and finally nighttime. Each stanza poses a "wonder why" question that is answered simply and accurately in a beautiful verse. The story begs for reading aloud and repeated readings. Young readers will be encouraged to be curious about the natural world around them...and to ask "Why." Back matter gives additional information on the elements.

Celebrate the creative process of pioneering American abstract painter Joan Mitchell in this beautifully illustrated STEAM picture book, perfect for all kinds of young creators.

It’s 1983, and American artist Joan Mitchell is in her studio outside Paris, transforming her emotions and memories into a symphony of colors and shapes. Inspired by her friend’s description of an idyllic hidden valley in France, Mitchell creates 21 massive paintings—her Grande Vallée series —bursting with vibrant, energizing hues. But she doesn’t paint the valley’s flowers and meadows. She paints a feeling about them—abundance, freedom, liveliness—creating a harmonious blend of drips, splashes, and brushstrokes in rainbow colors. When the paint dries, it's time to share her valley with the world.

This inspiring, poetic picture book about an influential yet lesser-known American artist provides a snapshot of a creator who deserves as much acclaim as better-known Abstract Expressionists like Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning. Author Lisa Rogers shares both the despair and delight Mitchell experienced throughout her career, while acclaimed illustrator Stacy Innerst’s bright artwork captures the movement and energy of Mitchell’s work, as her paintings develop from page to page.

Set against the backdrop of a middle school cultural fair, this tenderhearted and funny novel from the author of The Unbeatable Lily Hong stars twelve-year-old Sophie Mu--who discovers the power of defining oneself as she navigates friendship drama, family expectations, and learning about her Hui, her Chinese Muslim identity.

Sophie's work on the Chinese booth at last year's Rainbow Fair is a point of pride for her and her parents, even if Sophie and her best friend, Katie, think the whole thing is a little silly. Sophie's family is Hui, Chinese Muslim. The Muslim part is something she doesn't know much about. Her parents prefer to keep it private. So when it gets slipped to an overenthusiastic teacher that Sophie is Muslim, the only Muslim in her class, suddenly Sophie is in charge of debuting a booth representing the Islamic religion she doesn't practice, an assignment she is determined to keep secret from her parents.

Having to choose between leaving the Chinese booth or taking on double the workload leaves Sophie feeling conflicted. Why does she have to choose which part of herself to represent Is it an issue with her or with how the Rainbow Fair is organized

Between juggling both booths, old and new friends, and learning more about her Muslim faith and ancestry, Sophie starts to notice how her working on two booths starts to spark change throughout the student body. It turns out Sophie isn't the only one at Monroe Middle School whose identity isn't so simply categorized by the Rainbow Fair's limited booths.

One thing is for sure, this year's Rainbow Fair won't look anything like it did in the past, and Sophie begins to realize that that might not be a bad thing at all.

In this companion to This Is a Window, the power of children’s imaginations returns to center stage—this time in a shared backyard, where kids run a make-believe city full of hustle and bustle.

Welcome to Cat Pine Falls, a charming make-believe city made by kids, in their shared backyard! Here, pinecones are currency, the trees are tall skyscrapers for business up high, and a handy kid-run subway line zips between all the unmissable action. Young listeners will delight in eureka moments sparked by the delightfully imaginative pairing of words and pictures: the “carwash” is really a willow tree, the “café” is really an overturned kiddie pool, and more. As they follow along, kids will love being on the lookout for the Mayor of Cat Pine Falls— a cat! —who is expertly hidden on every spread of gorgeous, collage-style art. 

With satisfying rhymes that make for a sweet read-aloud, here’s a story that will delight kids, creative-minded parents, and childcare professionals alike, encouraging kids to create community through a shared imaginative playtime.

Discover animals of various colors with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

In this rainbow-shaped book with colored edges, young readers will experience animals of certain shades on each spread. Spot the gray koala, the orange tiger, and more in this appealing board book featuring everyone's favorite caterpillar!

In this zany and vibrantly illustrated nonfiction guide to all things color, the origins of today's pigments come alive across continents and history, with oodles of art, tons of science--and extensive interactive backmatter!

"An absolute masterpiece." - Jon Scieszka, First National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature

"Steven Weinberg's zany, thorough, and accessible guide to the wonderful world of color is simply joyous.” - Emma Straub, bestselling author and co-owner of Books Are Magic

"This is color like you’ve never seen it before! . . . Just loads of fun!" - Betsy Bird

So what is color? A red apple? A yellow banana? The purple goo from a squished sea snail?

Once you start digging, color turns out to be a lot of things--it’s messy, stinky, and even a little bit dangerous. You may already know that it’s art, but it’s science, too! What Is Color? will take readers all over the world, introducing them to talented, brilliant, creative people from scientists to famous artists and everyone in between as we take the color wheel for a spin.

Perfect for curious and creative minds who love paintbrushes as much as microscopes, this clever and eye-catching full-color nonfiction book dives deep into the strange, wacky, silly, and occasionally perilous history behind the colors that paint our everyday lives.

Readers will get:
• A laugh-out-loud funny adventure full of gross-out facts (like how cow pee can be used to make the color yellow!). 
• Hilarious illustrations that encourage creativity and fun while learning!
• A kid-friendly primer on global art history, from Yayoi Kusama to Van Gogh, Basquiat, and many more.
• A dazzling full-color book, with rainbow edges and vibrant info-filled endpapers.
• Extensive backmatter with a glossary plus art and science activities perfect for the classroom and home!

Art Lab for Kids is a refreshing source of wonderful ideas for creating fine art with children. This step-by-step book offers 52 fun and creative art projects set into weekly lessons, beginning with drawing, moving through painting and printmaking, and then building to paper collage and mixed media. 

Each lesson features and relates to the work and style of a contemporary artist and their unique style. The labs can be used as singular projects or to build up to a year of hands-on fine art experiences. Grouped by medium, the labs are set up loosely to build skills upon the previous ones; however, you can begin anywhere.

Have fun exploring:

• drawing by creating a whimsical scene on a handmade crayon scratchboard.
• painting by using watercolors and salt to create a textured landscape.
• printmaking by using lemons, celery, mushrooms, and other produce to make colorful prints.
• paper by creating an expressive self-portrait using pieces of colored tissue paper.
• mixed media by making insects from patterned contact paper and watercolor pencils.

Color photos illustrate how different people using the same lesson will yield different results, exemplifying the way the lesson brings out each artist’s personal style. Art Lab for Kids is the perfect book for creative families, friends, and community groups and works as lesson plans for both experienced and new art teachers.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

With more than 40 fun ideas to try out, this book is the perfect starting point for little ones who want to discover all types of art.

A child will love getting to grips with the basics of painting (using non-toxic food-safe paint), print making, drawing, paper crafting, and more.

For each different creative media, there are 6+ easy projects to try - so you don't have to keep putting things away and getting out something new! All the projects feed a child's imagination and encourage creative play. From vegetable printing, to making shadow puppets and a unicorn hobbyhorse, Play with Art is packed with exciting ideas for a little learner starting on their art journey.

Go on an artistic journey around the world. Discover the power of art and be inspired by cultures from all over the world with the Children's Book of Art.

You'll learn about the fascinating lives and achievements of great artists and sculptors from Leonardo da Vinci to Tracey Emin and Henry Moore. The book is packed with facts and photos highlighting artistic styles from around the world, from the very earliest cave paintings to Renaissance art and surrealism, via China's terracotta army, and African sculpture.

Plus, there are fun activities and projects so you can create your own works of art—the perfect gift for budding painters and sculptors.

An interactive picture book from the New York Times bestselling "Prince of Preschool"

Great for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers to learn about combining colors in a fun and imaginative way.

A mess-free way to learn about transforming colors and following directions: Accept Hervé Tullet's irresistible invitation to mix it up in a dazzling adventure of whimsy and wonder. Follow the artist's simple instructions and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader's imagination. In Mix It Up! Tullet sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page.

• The perfect book for young children to develop an understanding of colors
• Ideal as a fun and interactive read aloud book for families or small groups
• Known as the "Prince of Preschool," the versatile Hervé Tullet has been an art director at various ad agencies, a magazine illustrator, and for the past 15 years, a creator of children's books

Fans of Press Here, Let's Play!, and Say Zoop! will love this glorious and richly satisfying companion book, Mix It Up!

Great for preschoolers and early readers to learn about combining colors in a fun and imaginative way.

• Kids will giggle as they mash, smoosh and mix up colors as they participate in the story
• Paint colors are vibrant, fun and incredibly realistic
• Books for kids ages 3-7
• Stimulating children's book that encourages imagination and creativity

The hilarious, colorful #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon that every kid wants! Gift a copy to someone you love today.

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Blue crayon needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. Black crayon wants to be used for more than just outlining.  And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun. What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

With giggle-inducing text from Drew Daywalt and bold and bright illustrations from Oliver Jeffers, The Day the Crayons Quit is the perfect gift for new parents, baby showers, back-to-school, or any time of year! Perfect for fans of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith. 

Praise for The Day the Crayons Quit:

Goodreads’ 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year 
Winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award

* “Hilarious . . . Move over, Click, Clack, Moo; we’ve got a new contender for the most successful picture-book strike.” –BCCB, starred review 

“Jeffers . . . elevates crayon drawing to remarkable heights.” –Booklist

“Fresh and funny.” –The Wall Street Journal

"This book will have children asking to have it read again and again.” –Library Media Connection

* “This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime.” –School Library Journal, starred review 

* “These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review 

“Utterly original.” –San Francisco Chronicle

Ever wonder how the colors GREEN and ORANGE came to be? It all started with a little teamwork and some perseverance! Join three primary paint splatters, RED, YELLOW, and BLUE as they discover why everything is better when you work together!

This story begins when Red, Yellow and Blue encounter a persistent problem and are unsure of how to solve it. They each try to solve it in their own way and it seems to make the problem worse. Instead of giving up, they embrace each other's differences and learn how to work together and in process learn about about some NEW colors too!

If you loved I'm NOT Just a Scribble you will love Splatter too!

Meet the boy who can't stop creating art!

He loves colors, shapes, textures and EVERYTHING inspires him: his socks, the contents of the fridge, even his cat gets a new coat (of paint!). But there's just one problem: his mum isn't quite so enthusiastic. In fact, she seems a little cross! But this boy has a plan to make his mum smile. He's about to create his finest piece yet and on a very grand scale . . .

Funny, irreverent and perfect for creative children and adults, I Am An Artist by Marta Altés is a sharp, silly, fabulous book which shows that art is EVERYWHERE!

New York Times bestselling author Joanna Gaines welcomes you on an imaginative adventure through nature's small surprises and invites you and your children to be curious, slow down, and take in everyday wonders. With vibrant art by Julianna Swaney that is full of dreamy details, this whimsical picture book will inspire your family to pause busy schedules and explore together.

Inspired by Joanna's young son's insistence to "look up!" and the shift to a slower perspective she enjoyed after having her last child, this book shares the delight of taking a friend by the hand, getting your boots muddy, and discovering the secrets just waiting to be uncovered.

In The World Needs the Wonder You See, you and your kids will

• slow your pace, look closely, and find joy as you make discoveries together;
• join a diverse cast of children on a journey below leaves, amidst treetops, under ocean waves, through rabbits' tunnels, and into the clouds;
• imagine hidden worlds in which ladybugs live in tiny cabins, snails journey through mushroom fields, and stars paint stories across the sky; and
• learn to notice the amazing beauty that children naturally see.

This companion book to The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be is perfect for

• children ages 4-8;
• grandparents, parents, teachers, and librarians;
• classroom story times and discussions about valuing others' ideas and perspectives;
• households that enjoy watching Chip and Joanna on Magnolia Network and HGTV's Fixer Upper; and
• holiday or Christmas gift-giving, birthdays, graduations, or other celebrations.

Celebrate the wonder of the world through a child's eyes in this imaginative book about all the beauty, hope, and surprise hiding in plain sight. Look up. Lean in. Bend low. Reach for new heights. Every day, from every place, there's more to see in this great big world of possibility.

A kid-friendly tale of two ends of the same pencil learning to get along!

Linus and his eraser, Ernie, don't always see eye to eye. But with the family art show drawing near, these two will have to sharpen their collaboration to make something neither one could do on their own! 

This cheerful ode to art points out the power of sharing the creative process and sticking with it.

In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira lives in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and hope to the neighborhood.

What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine!

Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation--and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

"Simply superb." (Kirkus)

Tomás Rivera Book Award * ALA Notable Children's Book * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year * Huffington Post Best Picture Books of the Year * Kirkus Best of the Year * School Library Journal Top 10 LatinX of the Year

The Color Collector is a poignant story about newness, friendship, and common ground.

When a boy notices the new girl picking up all manner of debris and litter on their walks home from school he wants to know why. So she shows him the huge mural she's created in her room that reminds her of the home she left behind. He learns all about where she's come from and they both find how wonderful it is to make a new friend.

If you are an artist, you wonder . . . How? Why? and What if? You daydream adventure, you stare at the stars, you let your imagination grow, and grow, and GROW! And most importantly, you know that the world is waiting for what YOU and only YOU can create. Because YOU are an artist. Follow a band of young artists -- each with their own individual contribution -- through this inspirational homage to trusting your own voice, believing in yourself, and cultivating your creativity and sense of wonder to make the world a more beautiful place.

• 32 pages.
• Full color picture book.
• Hardcover with dust jacket.
• Book measures 8-3/4'' wide x 11-1/4'' high.

Meg Auchenbach has been writing and illustrating books since she was a little girl. If You Are an Artist is her debut picture book and is inspired by her former career as an elementary art teacher, where she watched children daydream, experiment, and create. She holds a B.F.A. in painting from Arcadia University, and an M.F.A. in Illustration/Visual Communication from Marywood University. She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat.

From the award-winning Ed Vere comes a joyful and inspirational celebration of beauty, mistakes and the artist in all of us

‘The Artist's optimistic ending, in particular, makes it perfect for bedtime reading and bedtime dreaming for little artists. It’s a useful reminder for grown-up artists too.’ - Art Quarterly

One brave little artist goes on one epic adventure to share her art, and in doing so learns that it doesn't matter if you colour outside the lines, that art is full of heart... and that maybe you are an artist too!

What is an artist?

Someone who sees beauty... Someone with a mind full of colours, feelings, and ideas... Someone who plays and dreams and makes...

Praise for How to be a Lion - winner of the Oscar's Book Prize
"This witty, resonant picture book is a manual for anyone's life, young or old." Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week

"Positive role models showing boys how to be a whole person are few and far between these days. This marvellous book triumphs in that essential job." Kirkus

In this delightful tale of the power of the imagination, Art’s supplies come to life in the studio, creating mayhem and magic—and art! Pastels, pencils, paints, crayons, brushes and markers...everything gets in on the act of creating a mess-terpiece of fun. Chris Tougas’s brilliant illustrations and clever text explore the essence of the creative process in a way that children will understand.