Use these art center books to introduce your art center, teach art techniques, or learn about artists with your little learners. These books are handpicked for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students with their simple texts and vocabulary and bright, captivating pictures. There are fiction and nonfiction titles, too!
Get more ideas for setting up your art center here.
Introducing the Art Center
My all time favorite book to teach about the art easel and painting the first week of school! This child gets caught painting everything! His Mama puts an end to that, but he keeps painting. It is a rhyming, sign-songy text that students can guess what comes next on each page.
This book shares all about the different art supplies your students may find at the art center. I love to read this book at the beginning of the year when I am showing the students the art center.
A simple book introducing the idea that shapes make up everything around us. Help little learners see the individual shapes and what they make. This is another book I LOVE to use to introduce the art center at the beginning of the year to practice using a glue stick and create our first shape collage!
Edward hates being messy and dirty! Then, one day, a bucket of paint spills on his head. Edward discovers it is pretty fun to get messy and that you can always clean up afterward.
Introduce students to a new artist. He tries new things, from scribbling to zig-zags. Students can see how art is an expression of the imagination.
Being an Artist & Exploring Different Types of Art
The Dot (being an artist)
The character feels like she isn’t an artist and has no idea what to draw on her paper. When art class is over, she still has nothing on her paper. The teacher encourages her to just make a dot to start.
I’m the Best Artist in the Ocean (being an artist)
Surely, squid is the best artist in the ocean; I mean, he can squirt ink! He soon finds out that the other fish may not love his mess, but can he make something amazing?
Elmer (being an artist)
Elmer is covered in all sorts of colors in a patchwork design. The other characters won’t stop laughing at him. Teach students about being yourself and loving your uniqueness.
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (being an artist)
Let your students show their inner artist when you read this book. Why do the animals you paint need to be their real color?
6 Sticks (imagination)
See all the things that can be made with just sticks in this book for beginning readers. A great reminder to use your imagination.
Ten Black Dots (imagination)
Practice counting while showing students that they can make some pretty cool things with just some black dots.
An ABC of What Art Can Be (various kinds of art)
A rhyming book showing students the many forms of art and what it can become with some work, creativity, and imagination.
To Be an Artist (various kinds of art)
Travel around the world to see different children express themselves through art. Talk about dancing, music, and art as a form of expression.
Harold and the Purple Crayon (drawing)
Join Harold as he becomes an artist with just a purple crayon and his imagination. He goes all over the world and back to bed safely one evening.
Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble! (drawing)
Why can’t dinosaurs scribble? Scribbles can be beautiful! This little boy never imagined what the dinosaur would do with a crayon and a little scribbling.
I’m Not Just a Scribble… (drawing)
Scribble never realized he was different until he saw all the drawings. Scribble teaches everyone to accept each other.
Lines That Wiggle (drawing)
See everything a simple line can make as it dances and wiggles across the pages of this monster-filled book. Your students will love to see what creature is coming next and guess what the line is going to make on each page.
Shapes! (shapes)
Shape puzzles that all children can explore and learn from. The real photos are bright and colorful and your students will love them.
Gus’s Garage (3D art)
Gus has a garage, and all his friends need help today. Teach children problem-solving skills while students work to help each other.
Boxitects (3D art)
What can be made with a simple box? So many things! Meg and Simone are paired as a team in the Maker Match. Can they build something amazing, or will it be a disaster?
Not a Box (3D art)
A box can be so many things if you just pretend! This book encourages students to use their imagination to see what a simple box can turn into! Students would love to bring this story to life by creating their own projects with an empty box. Students LOVE boxes, so bring in boxes and create amazing things.
Too Much Glue (using supplies)
A lesson all your little learners will need sometime throughout the year, so read this book for a fun way to show them what could happen if they use too much glue. This silly story is a great way to encourage students to use less glue and art supplies.
Colors & Color Mixing
Let the battle begin! Is blue better or yellow the best? That is the ultimate question in this fun book for little learners.
Learn about the Indian Festival of Colors with Mintoo and Chintoo. They are going to gather flowers to dry and make powders to toss in the air during their celebration.
Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends! One day, they can’t find each other, but when they do, they give each other a big hug and make green! How exciting! See how they learn their true colors.
Learn about colors and tones in this silly book that your students will love. Colors mix, splatter, and smear across the paper to make something magical.
Each color believes they are the best; which one comes out on top? This story may surprise you with its ending and the social skills of unity and acceptance.
These monsters are loads of fun, and they love colors! They like to scribble, dance, and have an absolute blast while creating art. Your students are going to love this silly book that is tons of fun.
Three white mice discover some paint. They dance and play in the colors to make new colors!
A great board book for young children to practice colors, counting, sorting, letters, numbers, and more!
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
A fun, sing-songy book about Pete’s white shoes and the colors they change throughout the day.
Colors can be for anyone and everyone. Teach students that they don’t have to just use blue because they are boys.
Rabbit jumps into bowls of paint and changes colors as he goes. What color does he end up?
This charming story is one of my favorites, and my students always want to read it over and over again. Duncan goes to use his crayons, but they are on strike and have written him notes explaining why they are upset. It is silly but so relatable for kids.
Famous Artists
On a visit to the art museum, Parker sees a beautiful portrait, but in her mind, she sees so much more! Art can be amazing and captivating for everyone of all ages.
Learn about Henri-Emile Matisse’s childhood and how he became a famous artist—tons of information in an awesome picture book about his life struggles and how he overcame those difficulties.
Learn about Van Gogh in this silly story about a creative but hungry goat. Vincent becomes the artist he has always wanted while learning lots of new things.
Rhyming text with amazing pictures by Matisse is perfect for your little learners to see artwork and experience this artist’s pieces of artwork.
A countryside picnic with pictures by Monet. Your students will love the rhyming text while looking at beautiful images.
A fun way to learn about colors in a board book made for little learners. A bright pop art piece of work on each page for students to view and learn about.
Check out Degas’ work as you read a rhyming text about a ballet. Each page has a new piece of artwork and takes you on a fun adventure.
See Van Gogh’s artwork about the garden accompanied by rhyming text.
A story told with rhyming text that uses Seurat’s artwork for the illustrations.
The perfect board book to introduce artists to your students. Share how these artists create beautiful masterpieces and how your students can do the same.
That was quite a roundup, but there are so many art center books I love and use in my classroom that I wanted to share with you! The art center is so important and can give students the opportunity to express themselves in a safe place. It is also great for improving fine motor muscles, hand-eye coordination, and pencil grip. See how I set up my art center and grab an art easel FREEBIE below.
Check out this video for more art center ideas.
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For more of my favorite books, check out my themed Book List Blog Series that features themed book lists to accompany your lessons and activities! These are sure to keep your library shelves full! If there is a book list for a theme you need, just let us know so we can create it for you!
hey, i’m jackie!
I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum.
