For Chris, Andrew, April, Jenna, Carly, Raquel, and all teachers who inspire creativity among young people.
Here is a list of a dozen picture books that celebrate visual arts, creativity, and making something from nothing. These books are not about famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, or Jackson Pollack. Rather, this list is based on characters who celebrate art and originality as in The Art Lesson by Tommy dePaola, create rocket ships and skyscrapers from empty boxes in Antoinette Portis’ Not A Box, and that anyone — even a squirrel living in Central Park — can be an artist as described in John Lithgow’s Macawber. Read, share, and enjoy!
The Teaching Factor 
Hi! I’m an elementary substitute teacher and I have read many of these books to my students! I do a comic about funny things kids say that marries my love of art with kids, you might enjoy it – http://www.mistergkids.com
Mr. G – I really like the cartoons on your blog, some of them are really funny. Thank you for sharing your blog and your art inspired by teaching.
Thank you! Keep up the good work too.
Woohoo!!! I loves me a fine picture book list. Thanks Doc! Looking forward to getting to B and N this week and add to the collection. Have you read The Red Book? It’s a wordless picture book.
Love The Red Book. I will look on my book shelves to see other wordless picture books that I have that you might enjoy in addition to The Arrival and Flotsam.