BOOK MARKED
Artspiration 12 New Arts-Focused
Books for Kids
BY WF STAFF
Whether your child likes to sing,
dance, cook or draw, these arts-related
books will inspire any young reader to
follow his or her creative passion.

‘Artsy Cats Board Book’ by Mudpuppy
A “purrfect” tour through modern art history!
Introduce modern art with this book of adorable
cat portraits, each inspired by an iconic style of
art. The ‘Artsy Cats Board Book’ from Mudpuppy
features clever kitty-inspired artist names and
painting credits, from Clawed Monet to Paw Klee.

Ages 3-5.

Earth, he began to paint what he saw. Alan’s
paintings allowed humanity to experience
what it truly felt like to walk on the moon.

Ages 4-8.

‘Everybody Can Dance!’
by Kara Navolio
This colorful picture book uses rhyme and
rhythm to celebrate the joy of dancing, teaching
‘How Do You Dance?’ by Thyra Heder
kids that no matter your culture, physical ability
There are so many ways to dance! You can jiggle or style, everybody can dance! Ages 4-8.

or wiggle or stomp. You can bop or bounce or go
completely nuts. You can dance at the market or ‘Music for Mister Moon’
the bus stop, with your fingers or your face. This by Philip C. Stead
book explores dance in all of its creativity, humor A girl named Harriet longs to play her cello
and — most of all — joy, in a picture-book celebra- alone in her room. But when a noisy owl dis-
tion of personal expression that will inspire young rupts her solitude, Harriet throws her teacup
ones to get up and get moving. Ages 3-5.

out the window and accidentally knocks the
moon out of the sky in frustration. Over the
‘Horse & Buggy Paint It Out!’
course of an evening, Harriet and the moon
by Ethan Long
become fast friends. Worried that he’ll catch a
Geisel medalist Ethan Long’s comical duo, chill, Harriet buys the moon a soft woolen hat,
Horse and his friend Buggy, get creative in a then takes him on a boat ride across a glisten-
funny story about working together. Horse is all ing lake, something he’s only dreamed of. But
set to paint a mural his way, oblivious to Bug- can she work up the courage to play her music
gy’s suggestions that a bit of planning might be for the moon? Ages 4-8.

a good idea. But as the Horse knocks over paint
cans and sends brushes flying, he relents and ‘Nixie Ness: Cooking Star’
accepts some help from Buggy. Ages 4-8.

by Claudia Mills
Best friends Nixie and Grace spend every after-
‘The Astronaut Who Painted
noon together until Nixie’s mom gets a new
the Moon: The True Story
job and Nixie must attend the after-school pro-
of Alan Bean’ by Dean Robbins
gram without Grace. Nixie begrudgingly starts
As a young navy pilot, Alan wished he could the after-school program, joining the cooking
paint the view from the cockpit. So he took an camp. And it turns out that the other cooking
art class to learn patterns and forms. But no campers are nice, and the recipes they make are
class could prepare him for the beauty of the delicious. But Nixie can’t really enjoy being an
lunar surface some 240,000 miles from Earth. after-school superstar until she finds a way to
In 1969, Alan became the fourth man and overcome her jealousy about Grace and Elyse’s
first artist on the moon. When he returned to budding friendship. Ages 6-9.

44 Washington FAMILY SEPTEMBER 2019