Looking to spark your studentsâ creativity this year? Try one of these inspiring picture books!
Firebird : Ballerina Misty Copeland Shows A Young Girl How to Dance Like the Firebird
By Misty Copeland illustrated by Christopher Myers
In lyrical prose, real-life American Ballet Theater soloist Misty Copeland encourages a fictitious African American girl that through hard work and dedication, dreams really can come true.
It Jesâ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw
By Don Tate illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
From enslaved boy to hardworking sharecropper in Alabama, American folk artist Bill Traylor was 85 years old when he taught himself how to draw, capturing images from his youth to share with the world.
Kunuâs Basket : A Story from Indian Island
 By Lee DeCora Francis
When contemporary Penobscot Indian boy Kunu tries to make his own pack basket, he needs artistic guidance from his grandfather to make his creation into something beautiful and useful.
The Noisy Paint Box : The Colors and Sounds of Kandinskyâs Abstract Art
By Barb Rosenstock illustrated by Mary GrandPre
Russian artist Vasya Kandinsky didnât just see colorsâhe heard their sounds and painted their music, becoming one of the worldâs first abstract artists.
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The Nutcracker Comes to America : How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition
By Chris Barton illustrated by Cathy Gendron
When three dancing brothers from Utah join the New York City vaudeville scene in the early 1900s, Russian immigrants inspire them to stage the first ever American production of The Nutcracker.
 T
rombone Shorty
By Troy Andrews illustrated by Bryan Collier
Troy âShortyâ Andrewsâ grew up in New Orleans making his own instruments until one day he found the beloved battered trombone that would one day lead him to a Grammy nomination.
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 Viva Frida
By Yuyi Morales
Spare snippets of text in both Spanish and English alongside captivating photographs give readers a glimpse into what inspired great Mexican artist Frida Khalo.
