7 Great Art Books for Kids of All Ages

From drawing and painting to crafting with construction paper, there are many ways kids create. These art books for kids will inspire your children to get out the crayons!

Most kids love taking the time to be creative. Whether it’s painting, coloring with markers or games of make-believe, there are many activities that are pretty inspiring. But there are also many books about art and creativity that will help unleash the reader's creative instinct when the roadblocks come. Whether your child wants to read about it or just get creative, there are many top art books they’ll love!

What better way to inspire your child’s creative side than through a beautiful book? While the following art books for toddlers include some wonderful illustrations, they’re also great for sparking the imagination!

• Blue Chicken – Few farmyard tales don’t include a chicken, but this happens to be one of the best art books for toddlers. This fun story by Deborah Freedman follows a chicken that tries to help but ends up painting everything blue!
• Chalk – Released in 2010, this book was short-listed for a Caldecott Award. It's sure to stir your child’s imagination. In it, three kids find a bag full of chalk where everything they draw becomes real! When it comes to original storytelling, ‘Chalk’ is a winner.
• The Dot – This 2003 book by Peter H. Reynolds follows the journey of the budding artist Vashti. While she believes she cannot draw, she continues to embellish a dot, and her talent flourishes! The Dot has been such an inspiration it was made into a film, which was awarded a 2005 Carnegie Medal.

A picture book is one thing, but your child will want to get creative after reading the right book. Fortunately, these art books for kids will prepare them for the process! You can even share these wonderful books with other family members on FamilyApp.

• Beautiful Oops! – There are plenty of great books out there, but this one happens to have a wonderful message too! It teaches kids that a mistake is just a different opportunity. This fun book is filled with pop-ups, holes, and bends. It even won the 2011 Teacher’s Choice Award for the Family!
• Faces – One of the first things most kids will try to draw is a face. This fun book will let them create their own with collages, shapes, and sculptures! "Faces" is a great place to begin when it comes to books about art for kids.

The following art books for preschoolers will provide new projects all the time.

• Playful Learning – This book is perfect for making a space for your child’s creativity. With many unique projects and art activities to inspire learning, this is one of the best books about art for preschoolers available!
• Show Me A Story – This book has won 5 national awards since its 2012 release, making it one of the top art books around! Whether a toddler or a preschooler, your kids will love coming up with their own stories and using their imagination.

Sometimes children become more tentative about embracing their creativity as they get older. Fortunately, these inspiring stories and activity books will give them what they need to get artsy. Do you have a favorite craft you do with your child? Please share it with us in our comments! Whether you read these books many times, or just use them for inspiration, they're sure to spur your family on to greater creativity!