As it gets colder, we tend to spend more time indoors. Here is an idea: turn off TV and electronics, and invite your kid to share an art book. Not sure where to start? Here are a few art books for young kids I came across recently. I found all of them… in a library! Not in my local one, but I was able to order them from other libraries. I hope you and your children enjoy them as much as I did!
- Dinner at Magritte’s by M. Garland. Imagine having a great surrealist Rene Magritte as a neighbor. The visit to his house is anything but boring! Your child will follow young boy Pierre into the painter’s house and his fantastic world. An idea. Have Magritte’s painting to look at and find the one’s that illustrations are based on. Discuss them with your child too!
- Klimt and His Cat by B. Capatti. Beautifully illustrated book with the story told by a cat. Just as in a previous book, illustrations are based on Klimt’s paintings. Unlike in previous book, there are original paintings at the end. They are small, though. That’s why I would have bigger ones on hand to look at and discuss. Beware. Just as many of Klimt’s paintings depict half and fully naked bodies, so do couple of illustrations and paintings included in the book. To me, it doesn’t diminish the value of the book.
- The Three Musicians by V. Massenot. Another wonderfully illustrated book in Picasso’s style. Unlike other two titles, the story is based on one Picasso’s painting (The Three Musicians.) The fairytale-like story will captivate young readers and the big reproduction from MoMa will give kids a chance to admire the Picasso’s work. The last two pages contain interesting facts and ideas for discussion about the paining.
Check out my previous Art Book Review.
Kids Inspired by Classical Music and FineArt 