Teaching Art with Books Kids Love: Art Elements, Appreciation, and Design with Award-Winning Books

This book is a great resource for learning how art is put together as well as experiencing different types of 2-dimentional art. This book is an easy read for the educator. Each chapter has projects for helping children understand the concept as well as recommendations for children books that put the art idea into action. The book begins with the elements of art such as line, shapes, texture and so on, this is followed by the principles of art like harmony, balance, movement ... and finally to artistic styles such as realism, impressionism, etc. Example: Chapter 8, Variety and Contrast explains why artists use variety and contrast and what methods they use, references to fine art and children's literature are given, apply technique by drawing flies in different sizes, facing different ways and with different patterns Note: You do not need the reference books to use this book, it is only additional help. We did not use it and enjoyed the book.

Teaching Art with Books Kids Love presents the elements of art in a way that engages students and is clear enough for the 'artistically challenged' classroom teacher to follow! The project directions and examples are excellent. This is a great find for teachers who want to present a quality art program.

I am very impressed with this book! It explains clearly how to introduce the elements of art to children - and the choice of literature is wonderful! I am not an artist but I found this book very user friendly, providing success for the teacher and for the students. It is refreshing to find a high quality book on art for children, instead of the usual "cutsie sop" that passes for children's art instruction.

Using more than one hundred illustrations and award-wining children's books, Darcie Frohardt provides classroom teachers with all the tools necessary for teaching art. The information, examples, project directions, and variety of choices showcased in Teaching Art With Books Kids Love: Art Elements, Appreciation, And Design With Award-Winning Books provides everything necessary for a successful, student-involving, fine art curriculum that will engender and enhance student creativity, grades K-5. Teaching Art With Books Kids Love is highly recommended for both public school and home schooling fine art curriculum development and implementation.