Books for Children
This selected, annotated bibliography lists publications relating to art and artists
in the collection of the Stark Museum of Art and to visiting museums in general.
Artists
John James Audubon
Armstrong, Jennifer. Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier. New York: Harry N.
Abrams, 2003.
Picture book biography. Includes some examples of Audubon’s work in the
author’s and artist’s notes. Grades 2-5.
Davies, Jacqueline. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
Picture book biography. Includes an example of Audubon’s work and bibliography.
Grades 3-5. For a teacher’s guide see
http://www.jacquelinedavies.com/downloads/teacher_guide_boy.pdf
Seth Eastman
Lorbiecki, Marybeth. Painting the Dakota: Seth Eastman at Fort Snelling. Afton, MN: Afton
Historical Society Press, 2000.
Chapter book biography. Illustrated with reproductions of the artist’s work. Each
work is identified at the back of the book. Includes timeline, bibliography, and
index. Grades 4 and up. For the document Teacher Developed Activity:
Traditional Dakota Culture Through Art see
http://minnesotahumanities.org/Resources/art_and_dakota_culture.pdf
James Earle Fraser
Morrison, Taylor. The Buffalo Nickel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
Picture book biography. Discusses inspiration for the sculpture End of the Trail, a
cast of which is in the Stark Museum’s collection. Includes bibliography and
glossary. Grades 2-5.
Charles Bird King
Simmons, Clara Ann. Sauncey and Mr. King’s Gallery. Centreville, MD: Tidewater
Publisher’s, 1997.
Picture book. Sauncey entertains Indian chiefs as she awaits the return of artist
Charles Bird King, who will paint their portraits. Grades 2-5.
Edmonia Lewis
Wolfe, Evelyn. Edmonia Lewis: Wildfire in Marble. Parsippany, NJ: Dillon Press, 1998.
Chapter book. Biography of the first American woman of African/Chippewa heritage
to achieve international status as a sculptor. Grades 6-10.
Maria Montoya Martinez
Anderson, Peter. Maria Martinez: Pueblo Potter. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1992.
Biography. Thirty-five black and white photos illustrate the ancient process
perfected by Martinez and her family. Includes timeline. Grades 3-5.
Kreischer, Elsie Karr. Maria Montoya Martinez: Master Potter. Gretna, LA: Pelican
Publishing, 1995.
Illustrated chapter book biography written by a personal friend of the potter.
Grades 4-7.
Thomas Moran
Judge, Lita. Yellowstone Moran. New York: Viking, 2009.
Picture book biography. Includes an example of the artist’s work and bibliography.
Grades 3-5. Visit the author/illustrator’s web site for related activities and additional
information. http://www.litajudge.com/moran.html
Georgia O’Keeffe
Rodríguez, Rachel. Through Georgia’s Eyes. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2006.
Picture book biography. Includes bibliography. Additional biographical essay at the
end of the text. Grades 1-4.
Turner, Robyn Montana. Georgia O’Keeffe. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1991.
Picture book biography. Illustrated with photographs and reprints of the artist’s
work. Each reprint is accompanied by an interpretive comment. Grades 6-8.
Winter, Jeanette. My Name is Georgia. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 1998.
A picture book biography that integrates the artist’s own words in the text.
Illustrated in the style of O’Keeffe. Includes bibliography. Grades K-3.
Pierre Joseph Redouté
Croll, Carolyn. Redouté: The Man who Painted Flowers. New York: Putnam, 1996.
Picture book biography. Includes bibliography and pronunciation guide. Grades K-3.
Frederic Remington
Giesecke, Ernestine. The Life and Work of Frederic Remington. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2000.
Chapter book biography. Illustrated with images of Remington’s work with identifications in the index. Includes a bibliography, glossary, timeline. Grades K-3.
Venezia, Mike. Frederic Remington. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press, 2002.
Picture book biography. Includes 12 color illustrations with citations of the artist’s paintings, magazine illustrations, and bronze sculpture. Grades 3-5.
Charles Marion Russell
Harris, Lois V. Charlie Russell: Tale-Telling Cowboy Artist. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 2010.
Picture book biography. Illustrated with reproductions of Russell’s works. Credits for artwork appear at the back of the book. Includes image from the Stark Collection. Grades K-4.
Plain, Nancy. Sagebrush and Paintbrush: The Story of Charlie Russell, the Cowboy Artist. New York: Mondo, 2006.
Chapter book biography. Illustrated with more than 20 of Russell’s works. Artwork credits on title page. Includes index and list of selected sites where his works may be viewed. Grades 4 and up.
Shirley, Gayle C. Charlie’s Trail: The Life and Art of C.M. Russell. Helena, MT: Falcon Press Publishing Company, 1996.
Biography of Russell. Photographs of the artist, reproductions of works of art, map, glossary, and bibliography. Grades 5 and up.
Winter, Jeanette. Cowboy Charlie: The Story of Charles M. Russell. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995.
Picture book biography. Grades K-2.
Etching
Geisert, Arthur. The Etcher’s Studio. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.
Picture book. A young boy helps his grandfather prepare for a studio sale, and in the process describes how etchings are made. Grades 2-8.
Illuminated Manuscripts
Nikola-Lisa, W. Magic in the Margins: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
Picture book. An apprentice learns how to make books in a Monastery, and the importance of observation and imagination in creating illustrations. Grades 1-4.
Robertson, Bruce. Marguerite Makes a Book. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 1999.
Chapter book. Marguerite demonstrates the painstaking craftsmanship required in making an illuminated manuscript. Beautifully illustrated. Includes glossary. Grades 2-5.
Sculpture
Reynolds, Aaron. Metal Man. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2008.
Picture Book. Urban welder turns junk into art and inspires his young neighbor to see things differently. Grades K-4.
Stone, Tonya Lee. Sandy’s Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder. New York: Viking, 2008.
Picture book biography. The inventor of the mobile began his career crafting a miniature circus. Grades 2-5.
Steuben Glass
Houston, James. Fire into Ice: Adventures in Glass Making. Toronto: Tundra Books, 1998.
Autobiography of a glass sculptor. Includes more than two dozen photographs and drawings. Grades 3-6.
Weaving
Blood, Charles L. The Goat in the Rug. New York: Aladdin Books, 1990.
Picture book details how a Navajo weaver makes goats wool into a rug. Grades
1-3.
Roessell, Monty. Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave.
Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, Co., 1995.
Through photographs the author documents traditional weaving techniques. Includes glossary and recommendations for further reading. Grades 4-6.
Lyon, George Ella. Weaving the Rainbow. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 2004.
Picture book. An artist raises sheep, shears, cards, spins and dyes the wool to weave into a picture. Grades K-3.
Spinelli, Eileen. Sophie’s Masterpiece: A Spider’s Tale. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 2004.
Picture book. An artistic spider faces disappointment when her work is not appreciated. She isn’t discouraged but finds the inspiration to finish her masterpiece. Grades K-2.
Shapes, Colors, Collections
Frame, Jeron Ashford. Yesterday I had the Blues. Berkley: Tricycle Press, 2003.
Picture book. Exploration of emotions through color. Grades 1-4.
Martin, Jr. Bill. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? New York: H. Holt, 1992.
Oversized picture book. Rhyming text introduces animals and colors. Grades Pre K-2.
Reynolds, Peter H. The Dot. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003.
Picture book. An art teacher encourages her reluctant student. Grades K-4.
Reynolds, Peter H. Ish. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2004.
Picture book. Encouraged by his sister, Ramon regains his confidence to draw. Grades K-4,
Shaw, Charles Green, ed. It Looked Like Spilt Milk. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.
Oversized picture book. Readers guess at shapes. Grades Pre-K – 1.
Wiesner, David. Art & Max. New York: Clarion Books, 2010.
Picture book. Unexpected things happen when lizards create art. Grades K-4.
Visiting Museums, Collecting
Banks, Kate. Max’s Words. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2006.
Picture book. Collecting coins and stamps are no match for the excitement of collecting words. Grades 1-3.
Bessesen, Brooke. Zachary Z. Packrat and His Amazing Collections. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Highways Books, 2008.
Picture book. This rhyming story introduces the concept of collecting through a packrat. Questions encourage discussion about collecting and can help orient young visitors to Museums. Grades 1-3.
Matyas, Diane. The Terrible Captain Jack Visits the Museum: or a Guide to Museum Manners for Incorrigible Pirates and the Like. Staten Island, NY: The Noble Maritime Collection, 2007.
Captain Jack, a curious pirate, learns how to behave while enjoying a visit to the museum. Grades PK-2.
Weitzman, Jacqueline Preiss and Robin Preiss Glasser. You Can’t Take a Balloon Into the Museum of Fine Arts. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2002.
A picture book. Without words this story features more than a dozen works of art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Each painting and artist is indentified at the end of the book. Grades K-4.
Wellington, Monica. Squeaking of Art: The Mice go to the Museum. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books, 2000.
A group of mice visit a museum, learning about portraits, landscapes and still lifes. Questions on each page lead the reader in considering the representations of famous paintings. Each painting and artist is indentified at the end of the book. Grades PK-2.
Selected titles may be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
For Museum Store information call 409-886-ARTS (2787) ext. 13.
You can also consult your local library. Books not in the holdings of
your local library can often be borrowed through inter-library loan.
Bibliography prepared by Jenniffer Hudson Connors, Librarian,
Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas. December 2011.