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



Happy
BOOK Birthday,
MARKED Roald Dahl!
‘Sonny’s Bridge: Jazz Legend
Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove’
by Barry Wittenstein
This groovy picture book biography chron-
icles the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny
Rollins’ search for inspiration on the Williams-
burg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in
1959. Written in rhythmic prose with a “bebop”
edge, this picture book biography of Sonny
Rollins’ journey to get his groove back will
delight young and old fans alike. Ages 6-9.

‘Violette Around the World,
Vol. 2: A New World Symphony!’
by Teresa Radice
Join in the adventures of 12-year-old Violette as
she travels the world as part of a circus, learn-
ing to appreciate the joys of being diff erent.

This little girl with a big heart meets two peo-
ple when she arrives in America – Hiawatha,
a young Native American girl and the famous
composer Antonin Dvoràk. These two new
friends will help her achieve a long-held dream
in this second volume of Violette’s adventures
around the world! Ages: 8-12.

‘Where Is Broadway?’ by Douglas
Yacka, Francesco Sedita and Who HQ
In a lively and engaging style, authors Douglas
Yacka and Francesco Sedita cover the develop-
ment of the fi rst theaters and the birth of the
American musical, as well as the shows and
stars that have become Broadway legends. Read-
ers will get the inside story on their favorite
shows and may even discover some new ones.

Ages 8-12.

‘What Paul Made’ by Valerie Downs
A story inspired by artist Paul Klee’s quote,
“A line is a dot that went for a walk.” What
Paul Made is about friendship, creativity and
the innocence of a child’s imagination. Fol-
low young Paul on a visual journey turning a
simple stroll into an adventure full of color,
nature, curiosity and joy. Together with his dot,
Paul returns home to discover his imagination
created something wonderful. Ages: 8-12.

‘The Cat, the Fiddle and
Me: A Magical Songbook
Journey’ by Larry L Keen
This charming and enchanting story set to a
lyrical song brings alive The Cat, The Fiddle
and Me. Arranged to a sweetly poetic song,
these three unlikely friends visit mystical
lands and meet mythical characters includ-
ing a musical walrus and a gentle giant’s
“friendly pet lion who loves macaroni and
cheese.” Ages 8-12. ■
Each month, we celebrate a
birthday of literary signifi cance.

“Those who don’t believe in magic
will never find it,” Roald Dahl wrote.

Readers of his books
know that he found
it. The author, who
is widely recognized
as one of the 20th
century’s greatest
storytellers for
children, wrote
“Matilda,” “Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory,” “James and
the Giant Peach” and “Fantastic Mr.

Fox,” among others.

Born on Sept. 13, 1916 in Wales,
he attended boarding school as
a teenager in England, according
to Scholastic. One of his teachers
complained in Dahl’s report card
that he “persistently” used words
that meant the opposite of what
was intended. Dahl later captured
this trait in his book, “The BFG,”
starring a Big Friendly Giant
who uses words like “exuncly,”
“fizzwiggler” and “gollup.”
His first children’s story was
“The Gremlins,” published in
1943, about sneaky little folklore
creatures that Dahl learned about
when he served in the Royal Air
Force. He published “James and
the Giant Peach” in 1961, and what
followed was a period of great
creativity that lasted into the 1970s.

Film enthusiasts will know that
“James and the
Giant Peach,”
“Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory,”
“Fantastic Mr.

Fox” and “The
BFG” all have
been made into
movies, increasing
the reach of this
magical writer.

WashingtonFAMILY.com 45