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Looking to inspire a kid this holiday season? Here is a list of books released this year that may fuel the passion of an aspiring artist or architect, or simply help instill an early appreciation for culture, imagination, and hard work.
“Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity!“
by Sarah Suzuki, illustrated by Ellen Weinstein
The Japanese artist is the subject of this book geared toward 5 to 8-year-olds, who will learn about her childhood and her vision of a world covered in polka dots. As the story goes, this vision led Kusama to begin covering her works in polka dots and later bringing them to Tokyo, Seattle, New York and Venice.
“Sonia Delaunay: A Life of Color“
by Cara Manes and Fatinha Ramos
Ukrainian-born French artist Delaunay made significant contributions to the development of abstraction in the 1910s. In this book recommended for 4 to 8-year-olds, she and her six-year-old son Charles go on a fantastical adventure of colors and shapes in a car modeled after the artist’s 1925 design for a Citroën automobile.
“Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos“
by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra
Kids can delve into the life of the influential Mexican artist in this richly illustrated book, which focuses on her beloved pets and how they inspired her, with 4 to 8-year-olds in mind.
“Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing“
by Kay Haring, illustrated by Robert Neubecker
The iconic pop artist’s signature artwork fills the pages of this illustrated biography, which tells of his childhood and meteoric rise to fame. Written lovingly by his sister for 5 to 8-year-olds in mind.
“The World is Not a Rectangle“
by Jeanette Winter
This picture book for ages 5 to 10 years old focuses on the life of the late architect Zaha Hadid, from her childhood in Baghdad, when she dreamed of designing her own cities, to her studies in London and the opening of her own studio, covering the adversity she faced along the way.