BOOKS: Great Art History Books for Kids

This series is perfect for both boys and girls alike, is geared toward those aged 4 through 7, and is a perfect way to introduce children to the complicated giants of art history.  Did I mention they are a great deal of fun? 

Camille and the Sunflowers

Author: Laurence Anholt

Description:  Based on a true encounter, I bought this book for my daughter Camille (who was not happy at all that French boys share her name).  Nevertheless, this tells the story of a small boy named Camille who befriended the strange and lonely Vincent van Gogh when he came to live in a small Dutch village. The artist is not yet recognized as a genius, and the townspeople refuse to buy his paintings and make fun of him to boot. Camille’s heart breaks, as he wrestles with his friendship with Van Gogh and the way his friends are treating him. Camille’s family -- the Roulins -- were Vincent's only friends in that village. In fact, he was so scorned, he was never able to find people who would sit for him for portraits. Van Gogh painted or sketched twenty-five works of the Roulin family – including the famous picture of Camille’s dad, a postman. Here, thanks to the generosity and patience of this family, Van  Gogh  was able to produce some of his best loved works. Anholt's illustrations are based on these famous paintings (the view of his bedroom, for example, is a nice representation).  There are also reproductions of actual paintings – Sunflowers and portraits of Camille and his family.

Be prepared to talk to your child about: The effects of treating others kindly and doing what you are supposed to do even if others don’t appreciate it.

Degas and the Little Dancer

Author: Laurence Anholt

Description: Little Marie dreams of becoming the most famous ballerina in the world, but her poor family struggles to pay for lessons. At last she begins modeling for the artist Edgar Degas, well-known for his paintings of dancers and horses – and treating both dancers and horses with the same amount of contempt. As you are probably aware, Degas created some of the first behind the scenes images of dancers at the Paris Opera House. This books tells the true story of how Marie begins modeling for Degas, but has to miss the classes to earn money for her family.  Ultimately, however, she does become the subject of his most famous sculpture and consequently is known forever as Degas’s dancer.

Be prepared to talk to your children about: Poverty and how it limits opportunities, what our responsibilities are toward the poor.  Please note that though the neighborhood where Marie lived was historically one of the most squalid pockets of Paris (where prostitutes mixed with day laborers and brothels were scattered amidst merchants), the book treats this subject at an age appropriate level.

Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail

Author: Laurence Anholt

Description: This fascinating story is actually true, based on the world-famous artist and a little girl who became one of his models. The publisher describes the book, “Sylvette first met Picasso in 1954, when she was a girl in the southern French town of Vallauris. At that time, she was the shyest and dreamiest girl among her friends, though today, she is a respected artist in her own right. When Picasso set up his studio in a nearby house, he spotted young Sylvette and was taken immediately by her classical profile and her lovely ponytail. When at last he convinced her to pose for what became the first of more than forty works of art, the two gradually became good friends. Before long, Picasso's portraits of Sylvette became famous around the world.”

Interestingly, the book shows an actual photo of Picasso painting Sylvette and includes actual biographical information about the girl, Sylvette David, who was so famous even her hairstyle became popular all over the world.

Be prepared to talk to your children about: the spiritual principal of “the first being last and the last being first,” as Sylvette was neither as pushy or attention-seeking as her friends.