When I tell my children stories about artists or architects, I want them to know that they dream big, work hard, and redirect the ship towards something better. “Roberto The Insect Architect” by Nina Laden is one of my favorite picture books about being an architect. It’s also a story about building dreams and being creative …
Architecture is a big part of my studio work, and I am looking forward to being at the Biennale in Venice. “Dreaming Up” by Christy Hale is a book that makes talking about the history of architecture easy! On one side of the page is an illustration of children playing with the usual suspects, pillows, cards, toothpicks, etc. …
We recently added Paris to our summer itinerary, and I am obviously excited! We are reading this book to get in the mood. You can expect more posts coming up soon about artists and books that are getting us ready for our family trip to Europe. Picasso and Minou by P.I. Maltbie and illustrated by Pau Estrada …
Eric Carle’s simple board book reads, “I am an artist and I paint…blue horses… orange elephants… and polka dotted donkeys!” My children think it is funny because obviously the horses at the farm are not blue. We know that artists think outside of the box and imagine new things, but it is equally important for engineers, dads, …
During my trip to Atlanta, I took my littles to the High Museum of Art. A beautiful museum that I would visit for the architecture, courtyard, and atrium alone. In the lower galleries, there is an exhibition of collages by Eric Carle, a prolific illustrator who is best know for writing The Very Hungry Caterpillar. His first book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What …
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis is basically the story of my boys in our backyard. The character in the story creates a new reality for the stick, and a parent-like voice reminds him “to be careful with that stick.” When my children stretch their creativity, it stretches mine too. Sometimes it is easier or safer …
In a recent book review, I mentioned that I pulled out my stack of Paris books to peruse for a friend. This is another one I’m glad I snagged. The book Babar’s Gallery by Laurent de Brunhoff is inspired by the Musée d’Orsay. How did art museums get here and why? This book is a fictional re-telling of how …
We all need a little Hervé Tullet in our lives. Any of his books make great gifts. We like his series on games, especially games of mirrors, in the dark, and of sculpture. “The Big Book of Art” is a sturdy book about making marks. There is an emphasis on lines. All the pages are cut in half. …
I have a friend getting ready to go to Paris with her children that are about the same age as mine. So I’ve been looking through the books we brought home on our last trip (when our oldest was an infant). Mon Safari dans Paris by Francesco Acerbis is a beautiful picture book filled with photographs of …
In an interview, Oliver Jeffers explains that when he started making picture books, he started asking questions instead of telling stories. His children’s book “The Day the Crayons Came Home” has been on the NY Times Bestseller list for 30 weeks and counting. Topped by his book “The Day the Crayons Quit,” which has hit the list for …