Books For Teaching Art

As we all know, one of the best way for students to master any content is to activiate their schema using various strategies.  As emphasized through the "thinking strategies"  kids have tiny file folders in their brains which can be opened to connect new information.  Without the schema(experience), it is very difficult for them to understand new content.  As we all know, books are a great way for kids to make connections and create experiences (schema).
Here are a few books I would reccomend to help students become art literate and help them make real life connections to art content.
Harold and The Purple Crayon
The Dot
Eric Carle Books
Lily Brown's Paintings        Angela Johnson
The Quilt Story
The Rough Faced Girl
A is for Appalachia              Linda Pack
Appalachia The Voices of Sleeping Birds  Cynthia Rylant
Rain School (Africa)            James Rumford
The Dancing Masks of Africa
The Boy Who Drew Birds    John Audobon
The Yellow House               Susan Rubin
Lucy's Picture (texture)         Nicola Moon
You are My Work of Art      Sue Diccico
Enjoy!
Robin

Recommended books

Here are a few books I use: Unlikely pairs/Fun with famous works of art (excellent for comparing works of art that connect in some way), Mouse Paint (great for when describing mixing the primary colors to make secondary colors, The Quilt by Ann Jonas, Chameleons are Cool (great examples of different patterns and vibrant colors), Giraffes can't dance (great for k/1's or 2/3s) and A is for Appalachia (alphabet book of appalachian heritage with various objects of the area).
Rae Schooley

The Wonderful Books of Laurence Anholt

Without a doubt the books I've most enjoyed sharing with the kids the past few years are the Laurence Anholt books...

   

Book photos from http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2011/09/12/best-childrens-books-to-teach-art/.

These books have gotten a better response from my students than any I have ever used.  I like to bring the masters to life, telling wild, fantastical stories that most of the artists have in their histories.  These books always involve either children or young people who actually met the artists and knew about them.  The books are frank about the artists' idiosyncratic personalities, while also avoiding some of the gory details they don't necessarily need to hear.  These four are the ones I've shared so far.  I also have the da Vinci and Degas books he wrote, but haven't used them yet.

Reading the Matisse book led me on a wild goose chase that I loved.  I decided to contact the nuns at the convent in Vence, France, that Henri helped plan and construct.  They were very nice to communicate with, and ended up sending me a small book about the process of the construction of the chapel.  As a pastor as well as art teacher, I relished that opportunity.

These books "speak to" my students.  They may not get the same effect for you, but here at Kenwood these are the books the kids remember, that the teachers bring up to me about discussions in the regular classrooms, and that the parents mention as inspring their kids.

Book;"Painting the Town" by Denise Minnerly

I use this book with K, 1 and 2's...but mostly with kindergarten. It helps students to understand more about colors, color families and how to make colors (blending). Focuses on Primary & Secondary color families.