The following books are for sale and are great reference materials. They also make wonderful gifts for the artists and art lovers in your life.

Note: IN-STOCK books usually ship within 24 hours of ordering; all others are special ordered from the publisher and ship in 3-5 weeks. Please Bookmark this page for all of your future book, music, and video purchases. 5% of sale price helps support the artist.

Recommended Art Books Especially for Children

• Children, Clay and Sculpture
  Cathy Weisman Topal
  
  From The Publisher: It's a natural match--clay sculpting just seems to come effortlessly to kids. Encourage their artistry by guiding them through the creative process. Kids will happily dig into the soft, malleable medium, exploring its possibilities: they'll pinch it, roll it into coils, and "shake hands" with it until they've made an impression. They'll break the clay apart, rejoin it with water, try to model it into recognizable shapes, and cut out great big slabs to design. Pictures of professional sculptures, as well as objects created by kids, fill the book. Children will think it's playtime--you don't have to tell them they're learning, too!
  Kelly's note: I use this book every time I teach a children' sculpture class. I love it! Click on the book cover or title for current price information.

• If...
  Sarah Perry
  
  Synopsis: Illustrations present such imaginative possibilities as worms with wheels, caterpillar toothpaste, and whales in outer space.
  Kelly's note: My favorites are the catepillar toothpaste and the toes for teeth. I use this book when teaching children's classes to show them that creating is a safe form of exploring. It helps to get kids thinking about fun stuff to make (believe it or not, some kids get stuck). It shows them how to present everyday objects in new ways so that we can take appreciate the world around us. Click on the book cover or title for current price information.

• Understanding & Encouraging Your Child's Art: How to Enhance Confidence in Drawing
  Ages 2-12
  by Mia Johnson
  
  Special Order Book
  Kelly's note: I gave this book to everyone I knew with young children one year for Christmas. It really helps adults understand or remember what it was like to be a child and to communicate with children on a level understood by the child. Art is the study of form and space, among other things; therefore, it should be considered a VERY important part of a child's development whether or not a child shows "artistic talent" or wants to become an artist. Click on the book cover or title for current price information.

• How to Look at Sculpture
  David Finn
  
  Kelly's note: The photos in this book are lovely and I used this book as the basis of a 30-minute talk I gave to eight 2nd-grade classes at a local elementary school. Using my sculpture Sea Turtles I and a flashlight, I was able to show the kids what I was describing about light and shapes. The talk went very well, according to some of the kids and teachers who attended the lectures. Click on the book cover or title for current price information.

• The Christmas Candle
  Richard Paul Evans, Jacob Collins (Illustrator)
  
  Kelly's Note: This is an incredibly beautiful book reminding us of a good way to see the world. The paintings by Jacob Collins are fantastic! This is a book for children and adults (and best when shared by both!). All proceeds the author receives from book sales benefit The Christmas Box House International, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to the building of shelter-assessment facilities for abused children. Click on the book cover or title for current price information.