Staff Picks: Non-Fiction Children's Books

There's a rainbow of ways to think about colors. Colors pop and shine.  Cool colors make us shiver, while warm colors heat us up. They can even express our moods, from feeling blue to being tickled pink. What Can Colors Do? introduces children to...

A charmingly illustrated and inspiring book, Women in Art  highlights the achievements and stories of 50 notable women in the  arts. The artists range from well-known figures like painters Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe, to lesser-known...

You've seen the Sunflowers in our gallery, but that is only one small part of van Gogh's life. Learn about one of the world's favorite painters, Vincent van Gogh, in this new and unique biography series, which depicts the story of an artist’s life...

What is a docent? What does an artwork conservator do? Take a look behind the scenes of an art museum to discover what goes on inside.  With colorful illustrations featuring the beautiful architecture of National Gallery Singapore, Do Gallery...

Perhaps you make shadow boxes using old shoe boxes.  Did you realize you were making great art? Joseph Cornell loved to draw and paint and collect things. With these drawings and paintings and collected treasures, he made marvelous...

In the rural community of Gee’s Bend, African American women have been making quilts for generations. They use scraps of old overalls, aprons, and bleached cornmeal sacks—anything they can find. Their traditions have been passed down through...

Award-winning authors and artists Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv achieve a remarkable fusion of the scientific exploration of the  phenomenon of sound with a philosophic reflection on its nature that will appeal to inquisitive children looking...

All children deserve to see themselves represented positively in the books they read. Meet 52 icons of color from the past and present in this celebration of inspirational achievement—a collection of stories about change-makers to encourage,...

Six degrees of separation? For many artists, it's only one or two degrees. I Know an Artist introduces some of the most inspirational stories of friendship, love, creativity and shared passions in the world of art. Each of the 84 illustrated...

Did you ever wonder where people got the idea of wearing armor?  Or, did you ever look at an armadillo and see it was wearing armor just like the knights of old?  Now you can see and compare all kinds of armor. This is a great way to learn how...

By David Long Grab your magnifying glass and charge into battle with this  search-and-find history adventure packed with more than 200 things to  spot in each eye-boggling illustration. Meet history’s most  heroic knights as you travel...

By Alisa Wismer The world is filled with all kinds of different art! In this book we're  going to take a closer look at modern art. From the bright colors to  bold and modern shapes, we'll learn about some of the most famous modern...

 By David Stabler Every great artist started out as a kid. Forget  the awards, the sold-out museum exhibitions, and the timeless  masterpieces. When the world’s most celebrated artists were growing up,  they had regular-kid problems...

By Jen Bryant As a child in the late 1800s, Horace Pippin loved to draw: He loved  the feel of the charcoal as it slid across the floor. He loved looking  at something in the room and making it come alive again in front of him.  He drew...

 By Salva Rubio The life of the great French painter, one of the founders of  Impressionism, is narrated in lush comic art reminiscent of his style.  We follow  Monet from the Salon des Refuses (“Salon of the Rejected”) through many...

By Kay Haring  This one-of-a-kind book explores the life and art of Keith Haring from  his childhood through his meteoric rise to fame. It sheds light on this  important artist’s great humanity, his concern for children, and his...

By Kyle Kershner Packed with fun illustrations and 100 words every prodigy should know, 100 First Words for Little Artists is the perfect board book for artistic families everywhere. Are you an artist? Then of course your baby will inherit your...

By Marion Denchars Draw or paint your self-portrait like Frida Kahlo, or learn how to crayon etch and make art inspired by Paul Klee. This book is filled with artist biographies and exercises based on countless artists. Draw, paint, and collage right in...

By Amy Novesky and Isabelle Arsenault Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) was a world-renowned modern artist noted for her sculptures made of wood, steel, stone, and cast rubber. Her most famous spider sculpture, Maman, stands more than 30 feet high. Just as...

By Andrea D'Aquino Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) was an influential and award-winning sculptor, a beloved figure in the Bay Area art world, and a devoted activist who advocated tirelessly for arts education. This lushly illustrated book by collage artist Andrea...