Color Our World Themed Picture Books for Creative Kids

All summer long, patrons have been visiting our Forsyth County Public Libaries to participate in special summer programs and check out materials. We've enjoyed seeing our patrons' creations and sharing their excitement at adding their names to our wall of champions and picking up their summer reading prizes. 

As summer winds down, here are a few more Color Our World themed picture book recommendations that creative kids will enjoy.  

What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada; Illustrated by Mae Besom

In Kobi Yamada’s inspiring picture book, What Do You Do With An Idea? a young child has an idea and he’s not quite sure what to do with it. At first he tries to ignore the idea, but it only grows. When he shares his idea, not everyone seems to like it. At first he’s discouraged, but soon realizes that it's okay to be different and he's proud to have his own special thoughts. Mae Besome’s delicate pencil drawings bring this inspiring story to life. 

Have you ever had an idea that followed you everywhere? 

Niko Draws a Feeling by Bob Raczka; Illustrated by Simone Shin

Young Niko loves to draw things that inspire him and he translates sounds,  feelings, and activities into colorful designs. But Niko's friends and family don't respond to his unique artwork they way he hopes. When a new family moves in next door, Niko finds someone who understands his creative vision. 

Creative thinkers and young artists will enjoy the colorful pictures in this  thoughtful story about the creative process, abstract art, friendship, and the joy of connecting through art.  

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond; Illustrated by Daniel Minter

Blue clothing has an interesting history. Around the globe people in different places developed unique ways to turn fabric blue. In Ancient Egypt, artists used crushed lapis lazuli to paint sculptures, walls, and canvases. They even used a mix of crushed rocks, plants, and animal fat to outline their eyes, creating the distinctive style or portraits seen on Ancient Egyptian monuments and artifacts. In coastal areas like Japan, Mexico, Central America, and the Mediterranean, dyers discovered how to use snails to make blue dye. Both of these ancient methods were so time-consuming that the color blue was typically only worn by kings and queens. 

Fabric dyers in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas discovered an easier way to make the color blue by extracting blue from Indigofera plants. While making indigo dye from plants was easier than the old ways, landowners used forced labor or slaves on their farms to harvest it. 

If you enjoy wearing the color blue, you can thank the German scientist Adolf von Baeyer. In 1905, after forty years of experimenting,he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for creating a chemical blue that allowed anyone to wear the color once reserved for royaly. 

Thanks for being part of our Summer Reading Fun! August 4th is the final day to log your reading. FCPL will contact the grand prize winners on August 5 and prizes must be picked up by August 18.  

 

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist 

   Magic with B-Rad! at Sharon Forks Library