10 Books about Artists for Teens

Goldsworthy, Andy. (2004). Passage.  New York: Harry N. Abrams. 
(Artist: Andy Goldsworthy, 1956 -   )

Andy Goldworthy's Garden of Stones.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Gates (Central Park, NYC, 1979-2005)

Greenberg, Jan & Sandra Jordan. (2008). Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
(Artists: Christo, 1935 -  & Jeanne-Claude, 1935 - 2009)

Louise Bourgeois, The Spider

Greenberg, Jan & Sandra Jordan. (2003). Runaway Girl: The Artist Louise Bourgeois. New York: Harry N. Abrams. 
(Artist: Louise Bourgeois, 1911-2010)

This is a link to a website dedicated to making accessible, Louise Bourgeois art.

Romare Bearden's The Block, 1971

Hughes Langston. (1995). The Block. Paintings by Romare Bearden. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
(Artist: Romare Bearden, 1911-1988)

Wolf Kahn's My Barn on a Summer Night, 1982

Kahn, Wolf. (2003). Wolf Kahn's America: An Artist's Travels. Introduction by John Updike. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
(Artist: Wolf Kahn, 1927 - )

Marc Chagall's I and the Village, 1911

Lewis, J. Patrick and Jane Yolen. (2011/2014). Self Portrait with Seven Fingers: The Life of Marc Chagall in Verse. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
(Artist: Marc Chagall, 1887-1885)

Romare Bearden's Poseidon, the Sea God

O'Meally, Robert. (2008). Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey. New York: DC Moore Gallery.
(Artist: Romare Bearden, 1911-1988)

Spires,Elizabeth. (2009). I Heard God Talking To Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
(Artist: William Edmondson, 1883-1951)




Waldman, Diane. (2002). Joseph Cornell: Master of Dreams. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
(Artist: Joseph Cornell, 1903 - 1972)

10 Paired Poetry and Fine Art Books

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Angelou, Maya. (2011). Love's Exquisite Freedom. Paintings by Edward Burne-Jones. New York: Welcome Books.

Angelou, Maya. (2001). Still I Rise.  Paintings by Diego Rivera. New York: Random House.

Angelou, Maya. (2000). Phenomenal Woman.  Paintings by Paul Gauguin. New York: Random House.

Cohen, Leonard. (2006). Dance Me to the End of Love (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Henri Matisse. New York: Welcome Books.

Cummings, E.E. (2005). Love: Selected Poems. Paintings by Christopher Myers. New York: Jump at the Sun.

Cummings, E.E. (1995). May I Feel Said He (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Marc Chagall. New York: Welcome Books.

Harburg, E.Y.(2000). Over The Rainbow (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Maxfield Parrish. New York: Welcome Books.

Hughes, Langston. (1995). The Block.  Collages By Romare Bearden.  New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Shange, Ntozake. (1994). I Live in Music.  Paintings By Romare Bearden.  New York: Welcome Books.

Sting. (1998). Shape Of My Heart (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Pablo Picasso. New York: Welcome Books.

15 Favorite Children's Books about Male Artists

Walter Anderson's Trees (Watercolor, from here)

Bass, Hester. (2009). The Secret World of Walter Anderson. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
(Artist: Walter Anderson,1903-1965 ) Learn more about Walter Anderson here.

Edward Hopper's Night Windows, 1928.

Burleigh, Robert. (2014). Edward Hopper Paints His World. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. New York: Atheneum.
(Artist: Edward Hopper,1882-1967)

George Bellows's Cliff Dwellers, 1913)

Burleigh, Robert. (2012). George Bellows: Painter with a Punch! New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.
(Artist: George Bellows, 1882-1925)

Jacob Lawrence's The Seamstress (gauche on paper), 1946

Duggleby, John. (1998). Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
(Artist: Jacob Lawrence, 1917-2000)

Page Spread of Jackson Pollock from 1949 Life magazine.

Jackson Pollock's Summertime, Number 9A

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. (2007). Action Jackson. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. New York: Square Fish.
(Artist: Jackson Pollock,1912-1956)

Isamu Noguchi's Red Cube, 1968 (Located at 140 Broadway, Manhattan)

Hale, Christy.(2012).  The East-West House: Noguchi's Childhood in Japan. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Isamu Noguchi, 1904-1988)

Romare Bearden's Empress of the Blues, 1974

Harvey, Jeanne Walker. (2011). My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Tarrytown, NY: Two Lions.
(Artist: Romare Bearden, 1911-1968)

Pottery by Dave Drake

Hill, Laban Carrick. (2010). Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. New York: Little, Brown.
(Artist: Dave Drake, about 1801-1870) 

Rene Magritte's The Human Condition, 1933

Johnson, D.B. (2012). Magritte's Marvelous Hats. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
(Artist: Rene Magritte,1898-1967)

Diego Rivera's The Uprising, 1931

Marín, Guadalupe Rivera. 2009. My Papa Diego and Me/Mi papa Diego y yo: Memories of My Father and His Art/Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Diego Rivera, 1886-1957)

Bil Traylor's Untitled (Man, Woman), 1940-1942  Watercolor on graphite and cardboard

Tate, Don. (2012). It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Bill Traylor, 1854-1949)

Josef Alber's Homage to the Square, 1965

Wing, Natasha. (2009). An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers. Illustrated by Julia Breckenreid. New York: Henry Holt. 
(Artist: Josef Albers, 1888-1967)

Henri Matisse's Harmony in Red, 1908

Winter, Jeanette. (2013).  Henri's Scissors. New York: Beach Lane Books.
(Artist: Henri Matisse, 1869-1954)

Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, 1903

Winter, Jonah. (2012). Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.
(Artist: Pablo Picasso,1881-19730

Simon Rodia's Towers

Zelver, Patricia.  (2005). The Wonderful Towers of Watts. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. Honesdale, PA:  Boyds Mills Press .
(Artist: Simon Rodia,1879-1965)

Wandering, Mourning & Questing for Home: Greek Myths in the Intermediate Grades

Home to Ithaca by Romare Bearden.

I.
I have marveled at and treasured the copy I have of Romare Bearden's A Black Odyssey, a most ambitious and visually arresting series of collages.  Bearden created 20 collages based on Homer's Odyssey. In the opening essay to the text, Robert O'Meally suggests that the motifs of wandering, mourning, and questing for home are ones that Bearden thought aligned well to African Americans and their experiences.

I was pleased to see that The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey will be on exhibit from 2012m- 2014 at these sites:

10/13/12- 01/13/13 Reynolda House Museum of American Art , Winston-Salem, NC 
02/02/13- 04/28/13 Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN 
05/18/13- 08/11/13 Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX 
08/31/13- 11/24/13 Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
12/14/13- 03/09/14 Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta, GA
03/29/14- 06/22/14 Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH
07/12/14- 10/05/14 Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY

This is a video that highlights Romare Bearden and the exhibition, providing background information about Bearden's thinking.

II.
It is the idea of wandering, mourning, and questing for home that resonates and upon which a dynamic unit of study for intermediate grade children might be developed.  Here is some initial thinking.

Read Aloud Texts 

Burleigh, Robert. (2002). Pandora. Illustrated by Raul Colon. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Burleigh, Robert. (1999). Hercules. Illustrated by Raul Colon. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Byrd, Robert. (2005). The Hero and the Minotaur: The Fantastic Adventures of Theseus. New York: Dutton. 

Clayton, Sally Pomme. (2009). Persephone. Illustrated by Virginia Lee. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books.

Cross, Gillian (2012). The Odyssey. Illustrated by Neil Packer. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Demi. (2002). King Midas: The Golden Touch. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 

 Kimmel, Eric. (2008). The McElderry Book of Greek Myths. Illustrated by Pep Montserrat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Lively, Penelope. (2006). In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid. Illustrated by Ian Andrew. London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Lupton, Hugh & Daniel Morden. (2006). The Adventures of Odysseus. Illustrated by Christina Balit. Cambridge, MAL Barefoot Books.

Mayer, Marianna. (1998). Pegasus. Illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft.  New York: harper Collins.  (Lexile Level 960)

Rylant, Cynthia (2009). The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths Retold.  Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin.

Sutcliff, Rosemary. (2005). Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad. Illustrated by Alan Lee. London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books. 

Williams, Marcia. (2011). Greek Myths. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Yolen, Jane. (1991). Wings.  Illustrated by Dennis Nolan. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Independent Reading Texts (N – T)

Holub, Joan. (2012). Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom - Heroes in Training, Book 1. New York: Aladdin. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Holub, Joan. (2012). Poseidon and the Sea of Fury - Heroes in Training, Book 2. New York: Aladdin. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Karas, G. Brian. (2010). Young Zeus. New York: Scholastic. Lexile Level 570/Guided Reading O.

Linke, Jeff. (2008). Theseus: Battling the Minotaur: A Greek Myth. Illustrated by John McCrea. Mineapolis, MN: Learner/Graphic Universe. Lexile 470/Guided Reading N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Have a Hot Time, Hades!  (Book 1). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 550/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Say Cheese, Medusa!  (Book 2). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 540/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Phone Home, Persephone! (Book 3). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Nice Shot, Cupid! (Book 4). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 590/GR Level P.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Stop the Bull, Theseus! (Book 5). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch. Lexile Level 500/GR Level N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011).Keep a Lid On It, Pandora. (Book 6). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 480/GR Level N.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Get to Work, Hercules. (Book 7). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Mullins, Kate. (2011). Go for Gold, Atalanta. (Book 8). Illustrated by Denis Zilber. Stone Arch Books. Lexile Level 530/GR Level O.

Osborne, Mary Pope. (2010). Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1. New York: Hyperion. Lexile Level 760/Guided Reading Level T.

Osborne, Mary Pope. (2010).  Tales from the Odyssey, Part 2. New York: Hyperion. Lexile Level 790/Guided Reading Level T.