Picture Books for Art
Contributed by Amanda Noullett, Generalist Representative
Many years ago, I visited the Edmonton Art Gallery, and they featured a series of artists who illustrate children’s books. Once you start noticing this often-overlooked art form, you can’t stop noticing the amazing artwork that we see every day.
Here is a collection of my favourite illustrated books and a class project inspired by each.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
This is an oldie but a goodie. We were lucky enough to have a BIG BOOK of this. I used this in kindergarten, but any Division I class would work.
We used three layers of construction paper for this project, as the artwork is done in cut-outs. The background would be a solid blue, then I would talk students through cutting a snowy hill out of white construction paper that they would paste on top for a "midground." Then, they would cut out a snow boy I had printed on red construction paper for them for the "foreground." The creative part, where they could add their own artistry, was taking cotton swabs dipped in white paint and using them to create a snowy scene on top of all the layers. They turned out so well; I wish I had a student example to share.
Also, a video:
This educator has a wonderful sequencing PDF available for free that can be used for cross-curricular activities: https://teachingmama.org/the-snowy-day-sequence-activity/
Or perhaps a Readers' Theatre for Grade 2 readers: https://www.thebestclass.org/uploads/5/6/2/4/56249715/the_snowy_day.pdf
Why I Love My Mommy by Daniel Howarth
This is a book for small children. He has several books in this series, which you could choose from if the topic is not a good fit for your littles. I chose the swan picture to recreate with my students. The happy accident with this project was that our school had been boarded up mid-year, and we had limited supplies, so we had to use teal-coloured construction paper. They turned out amazing because of it!
I would feel confident doing this with younger students. Providing an outline of the swan and the lily pads would help students feel successful. While I am not usually a promoter of "copycat" art, where each student's artwork looks identical, this is a great introductory activity for learning techniques with a new medium such as pastels.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian
This is the coolest book! I love that it is non-fiction, and it is so inspiring for making snowflakes in the classroom. I teach students that real snowflakes have six points and show them how to make a six-pointed snowflake using tissue paper. This particular book is inspired by the subject rather than the illustrations themselves.
Here is an excellent link that explains the process:
Linked here is a collection of photographs Bentley took of snowflakes. They are mesmerizing!
