Color Our World

Recommendations for Summer Reading Theme "Color Our World"

Updated May 27, 2025
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Museum ABC.
Paper Book
Museum ABC introduces more than one hundred works art--using the alphabet! This unique alphabet book features four works of art from different cultures and periods for each letter of the alphabet. Simple words matched with intriguing illustrations provide an opportunity...
I ain't gonna paint no more!
Beaumont, Karen
Paper Book
A New York Times best-selling masterpiece featuring a sing-song rhyming text and humorous energetic illustrations about a spirited child and outside-the-box, creative thinking. When the child gets caught painting everything from the ceiling to the floor, Mama says "Ya ain...
Maybe something beautiful : how art transformed a neighborhood
Campoy, F. Isabel
Paper Book
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...
The artist who painted a blue horse
Carle, Eric
Paper Book
A brilliant new Eric Carle picture book for the artist in us all Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange...
Oh, Olive!
Cho, Lian
Paper Book
"Irrepressible. Joyful. Vibrant and full of oomph!" --Andrea Beaty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rosie Revere, Engineer "A stunning, energetic story full of clever humor, heart, and a reminder that art has no boundaries." --Ruth Chan, author...
Art club
Doucet, Rashad
Paper Book
An ALA Best Graphic Novel of 2024 Inspired by the author's own childhood, this contemporary graphic novel paints a picture of an aspiring young artist on a mission to prove that the arts are worth fighting for.  Dale Donavan...
My weird school goes to the museum
Gutman, Dan
Paper Book
This fun Level Two I Can Read book, geared toward kids who read on their own but still need a little help, is based on Dan Gutman's My Weird School series, which has sold more than 12 million books! A.J. and Andrea are taking a class trip to the museum! Their museum guide has been warned...
Ablaze with color : a story of painter Alma Thomas
Harvey, Jeanne Walker
Paper Book
Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas. Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of...
Art dog
Hurd, Thacher
Paper Book
Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive -- well, that's Superman for you. But now there's Art Dog -- a new superhero on the block -- and he's fighting crime with a paintbrush and an unstoppable creative might. Just as Superman...
Art is everywhere : a book about Andy Warhol
Mack, Jeff
Paper Book
This is the story of Andy Warhol--and how his pop art took the world by storm. From drawing shoes for a shoe company to his Campbell's Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe prints, Andy made art out of the everyday. People claimed Andy's art wasn't real art, but that didn't stop him from making it, plus...
Katie and the sunflowers
Mayhew, James 1964-
Paper Book
The masterpieces of van Gogh, Gauguin, and Czanne reveal their playful side in Katie's third adventure. When Katie steps into van Gogh's Sunflowers to collect some seeds for her garden, she accidentally knocks over the vase, spilling the sunflowers out of the picture and onto the museum floor Full...
I spy colors in art
Micklethwait, Lucy.
Paper Book
I spy with my little eye . . . a yellow circle, an orange orange, two blue eyes staring right back at me! The whole family will delight in exploring fine art through these fourteen glorious paintings, ranging from ancient to contemporary, their artists hailing from all around the globe....
Izzy paints
Miller, Tim 1972-
Paper Book
"Izzy's happiness at creating something of their own and the simple but lively text make for a delightful and engaging read-aloud. A charming stroll through the imagination and a testament to the joys of creativity." --Kirkus Inspired by a museum visit, a young koala...
Monet's cat
Murray, Lily
Paper Book
Join artist Claude Monet as he chases his cat through his greatest works! Claude Monet's iconic house was also home to a small white pottery cat. When this cat awakes from its nap and comes to life, it jumps into one of Monet's famous paintings! The cat can't be caught as it...
Georgia in Hawaii : when Georgia O'Keeffe painted what she pleased
Novesky, Amy.
Paper Book
Georgia O'Keeffe's Hawaiian tour celebrates natural beauty and powerful artistic convictions.Georgia O'Keeffe was famous for painting exactly what she wanted, whether flowers or skulls. Who would ever dare to tell her what to paint? The Hawaiian Pineapple Company tried. Luckily for them, Georgia...
The dot
Reynolds, Peter H. (Peter Hamilton) 1961-
Paper Book
With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark -- and follow where it takes us. Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Art class is over, but...
Sky color
Reynolds, Peter H. (Peter Hamilton) 1961-
Paper Book
The sky’s no limit as the author-illustrator of The Dot and Ish winds up his Creatrilogy with a whimsical tale about seeing the world a new way. Marisol loves to paint. So when her teacher asks her to help make a mural for the school library, she can’t...
Cartooning : the only cartooning book you'll ever need to be the artist you've always wanted to be
Roche, Art
Paper Book
Any child who can make a stick figure can learn to create funny cartoons--and this enjoyably illustrated guide tells them exactly how. Written by professional cartoonist Art Roche, it gives kids lots of hands-on opportunities to turn their creative ideas into delightfully drawn reality. The...
The noisy paint box : the colors and sounds of Kandinsky's abstract art
Rosenstock, Barb
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy- he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers-like a proper artist...
Art for little kids : 26 playful projects for preschoolers
Schwake, Susan
Paper Book
Developed for the younger set (4-to-6-year-olds) and targeting one of the most critical developmental periods for children, Art for Little Kids (Little Learning Labs) is the perfect book for both parents and teachers who are seeking enriching and unique experiences to offer this age group.
Seen Art?
Scieszka, Jon.
Paper Book
It all started when I told my friend Art I would meet him on the corner of Fifth and Fifty-Third. I didn't see him. So I asked a lady walking up the avenue, 'Have you seen Art?' 'MoMA?' asked the lady. 'Just down Fifty-Third Street here.' When this address turns out to be the Museum of Modern Art in...
Kid artists : true tales of childhood from creative legends
Stabler, David
Paper Book
Hilarious childhood biographies and full-color illustrations reveal how Leonardo da Vinci, Beatrix Potter, Keith Haring, and other great artists in history coped with regular-kid problems. Every great artist started out as a kid. Forget the awards, the sold-out museum exhibitions...
Music!
Thompson, Carol 1971-
Paper Book
We're amazing! We can make music, dress up, sing and dance. There's nobody quite like us! Enjoy the antics of this inclusive and diverse group of friends, as they celebrate the natural and boundless creativity to be found in every child.
Chalk
Thomson, Bill 1963-
Paper Book
A rainy day. Three kids in a park. A dinosaur spring rider. A bag of chalk. The kids begin to draw...and then...magic! The children draw the sun, butterflies, and a dinosaur that amazingly come to life. Children will never feel the same about the playground after they experience this astounding...
The artist
Vere, Ed
Paper Book
A brave little artist goes on an epic adventure to share her creativity with the world in this picture book from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Ed Vere. It's an inspiring exploration of the creative spirit, perfect for fans of What Do You Do with an Idea? and The...
Mouse paint
Walsh, Ellen Stoll
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Lois Ehlert and Press Here, this charming picture book gently explores the world of color and celebrates the joy of creativity. One day three white mice discover three jars of paint--red, blue, and yellow. But what happens when they splash in the colors...
Art & Max
Wiesner, David
Paper Book
Max and Arthur are friends who share an interest in painting. Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Max's first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max is...
Frida
Winter, Jonah 1962-
Paper Book

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