MoMA Artists Kids' Book Collection - Set of 6

 

 

One day, the artist Henri Matisse cut a small bird from a piece of white paper. It was a simple shape, but he liked the way it looked and didn't want to throw it away, so he pinned it to the wall of his apartment. But the bird looked lonely all by itself, so he cut out more shapes to join it. He didn't know it then, but he had taken the first step in creating a new form of art, one that would soon transform the walls of his studio into a blooming, vibrant garden. 48 pp.; illustrated throughout.

 

 

Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity

Growing up in Japan, Yayoi Kusama dreamed of becoming an artist. In the fields of her family’s nurseries she drew flowers and plants and stones, imagining the world around her as streams and clusters and arrays of dots. After studying traditional painting in Japan, Kusama moved to New York City, where she quickly became famous for her paintings patterned with dots. Written by Sarah Suzuki, a curator at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, with illustrations by Ellen Weinstein and reproductions of seven of Kusama's artworks, this colorful book tells the story of an artist who is covering the world in dots, from here to infinity. 40 pp.; illustrated throughout.

Roots and Wings: How Shahzia Sikander Became an Artist

Growing up in a multigenerational, multicultural home in Lahore, Pakistan, where her family’s Muslim traditions are filled with food and rituals, Shahzia is surrounded by stories of all kinds. At the Catholic school she attends, she studies Western literature, and at home, her father regales her and her siblings with fantastical tales from a Russian storybook on animals. Shahzia’s love for books leads to a fascination with illustrations, like the ones she sees in illuminated manuscripts and South Asian miniature portraits, and she discovers a talent for drawing. Through art, Shahzia is able to create the different worlds she reads about, using her imagination to take her beyond the walls of the home she grows up in.

Written by artist Shahzia Sikander with award-winning author Amy Novesky, and featuring artwork by Hanna Barczyk, Roots and Wings is a colorful introduction to a multicultural perspective that will inspire young readers to use art and imagination to explore new worlds. 40 pp.; illustrated throughout.

Jake Makes a World: Jacob Lawrence, a Young Artist in Harlem

This book is a vibrant introduction to the artist Jacob Lawrence by the acclaimed writer Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts and the award-winning illustrator Christopher Myers. Taking Lawrence's childhood in New York during the 1930s as its starting point, the book follows young Jake as he takes in the colors, sounds, rhythms, smells, and characters of his community in Harlem, passing through his mother's apartment, neighborhood streets full of familiar and not-so-familiar faces, and the art studio where he goes each day after school. Featuring photographic reproductions of Migration Series panels in addition to Myers's colorful illustrations, the book explores the inspiration the young artist finds in ordinary things, and the joy he discovers in making art. 40 pp.; illustrated throughout.

 

What Degas Saw looks at the world through a beloved artist's eyes and provides insight into his creative process. Walking through the streets of Paris with cape and cane, the French artist Edgar Degas observes the world around him, finding inspiration at every turn. From the blurry faces of passersby glimpsed through a bus window to the sun-dappled landscape seen from a moving train, the artist—with open eyes and a curious mind—collects impressions of the people and places he sees.

Featuring artwork by Degas, aquatint etching illustrations by Cristina Pieropan, and a story by Samantha Friedman, a curator at MoMA, What Degas Saw encourages young readers to carefully observe their surroundings and to create their own art about the people and places around them. 40 pp.; illustrated throughout.

Anni & Bert: A Weaving Story

Bert, a plucky but sometimes lazy bird, wakes up one morning to discover that his nest has fallen apart. After an unsuccessful search for a quick fix, he finds himself in the studio of the legendary artist Anni Albers, who shows him how to weave a home that’s both useful and beautiful.

A colorful exploration of the artwork and influences of Anni Albers—who changed our ideas about art and craft—this engaging book introduces young readers to the fundamentals of weaving and the world of textiles. 40 pp.; illustrated throughout.