In this post, I’m sharing some of the books I’ve received which celebrate the visual arts and music. With time for the sets bring squeezed out of the school timetable, it’s more important than ever that children can access resources which encourage them to express themselves artistically and learn about some of the great artists and musicians in the world.

Become a super-awesome artist with this fantastic new book. Using real examples of art for inspiration, this great book features 20 exciting art challenges to help you create your own masterpieces. Channel the artistic genius within and you’ll be painting like Pollock, doodling like Duchamp and creating like Kahlo in no time!

This brilliant little book is a must-have for any budding artists aged 9 and up! It guides readers through some of the tools and techniques which as the daily bread and butter or many artists, such as different types of paint and how to use a colour wheel.

The thing I love the most if that readers are introduced to a vast range of artistic styles, each linked to a renowned artist and with tips on how to replicate the style yourself. These include classical and contemporary artists working with a range of media.

“Today I am going to paint a portrait. It is a portrait of someone very important. That someone is ME (it is a self-portrait).
All famous artists paint pictures of themselves, and I am a famous artist. Or at least I will be when I’ve finished my portrait.”

Pippin is painting his self-portrait, but his friends think he’s got a lot to learn about painting. They take him to see Angelique’s portrait, which takes inspiration from Cubism, Kwame’s portrait, which is inspired by the work of Chris Ofili, Hina’s portrait, which draws from the work of Yayoi Kusama, and Franklin and Aaliya’s portrait, which is a colour field painting in the style of Mark Rothko. 

Pippin is feeling very deflated, but his little friend Minky helps him to dig deep and find the artist inside himself.

This is an ideal introduction to famous artists and some of their most celebrated works for young readers. As Pippin ponders which medium to use for his self-portrait, his friends share theirs with him too. Pippin soon reaches the conclusion that he’s best off creating his own kind of art rather than trying to emulate someone else. A great message for children to hear.

Bob Goes Pop is a charming and funny follow-up toBob the Artist and Bob’s Blue Period, all about art and teamwork. 

There’s a new artist in town, making a new type of art and knocking Bob’s beak out of joint. The subsequent competition to see who the best artist is escalates as each bird attempts to outdo the other. Will it all end in tears, or will the two realise that they are better working together rather than against each other?

This is a really fun exploration of competition, self-expression, and pop art. Pop Art has never failed to inspire any of the classes I’ve shared it with so having a picture book to compliment that topic is extremely useful! This one has the added bonus of addressing friendship and using one’s talents in a team.

Follow this unique 8-foot long fold-out timeline through a celebration of the history of music all around the world, while listening along to the accompanying Spotify playlist!

Learn about how different genres started-including classical, folk, jazz, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, country, punk, grunge and pop. Explore the histories of music linked to particular cultures or regions-including Indigineous American, Asian, and African music; Son Cubano and Caribbean styles; and Australian bush music. Discover the stories of music maestros from around the world-including Beethoven, Wei Liangfu, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Maria Callas, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, and Beyoncé. Marvel at the orchestra with a huge illustration set in London’s Royal Albert Hall, and find out about the ancient instruments discovered all over the globe.

All this and more features in this richly illustrated timeline of music from 60,000 years ago to the present day.

This is an incredibly cool fold-out timeline! It has the added bonus of being absolutely fascinating – both my sons were huddled round on the floor with me spotting musicians they recognised and learning about several new ones along the way. Sure to promote lots of discussion and enthusiasm and perhaps inspire some new musical prodigies of the future.

I hope these books have got your creative juices flowing!

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to all the publishers who sent me these titles to review*