Book picks similar to
An Artist's Alphabet by Norman Messenger


picture-books
picture-book
childrens
children-s

Wallpaper


Thao Lam - 2018
    It tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she’s too shy to say hello. So she picks at the old wallpaper in her room―revealing an entryway to a fantastic imaginary adventure world behind the walls.

Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes


Felicia Sanzari Chernesky - 2013
    Fall is here, with all its wonderful visual delights—not just colors, but shapes! This clever concept book follows a family on a trip to a pumpkin patch and invites children to pick out shapes from the seasonal scenery—apple bushel circles, square hay bales, diamond kites in the autumn sky! Felicia Sanzari Chernesky’s sweet verses are perfectly complemented by Susan Swan’s gorgeous collage-inspired art.

Z Goes Home


Jon Agee - 2001
    This alphabet story follows the letter Z as he returns home from work, passing characters which suggest a familiar shape. Full color.

Pie Is for Sharing


Stephanie Ledyard - 2018
    Pie Is for Sharing is a gorgeously illustrated ode to sharing by debut author Stephanie Ledyard and acclaimed artist Jason Chin.

The Great Eggscape!


Jory John - 2020
    Nevertheless, Shel doesn’t want to let his friends down, so he reluctantly plays, anyway. But after a morning of hiding and seeking, somebody’s still missing. Will the dozen eggs friends ever be reunited? Find out in this hilarious egg hunt adventure that reminds us to break out of our shells and help our friends in need!Includes two sticker sheets, perfect for decorating your own eggs.

The Hike


Alison Farrell - 2019
    Here is the best and worst of any hike: from picnics to puffing and panting, deer-sighting to detours. Featuring a glossary, a sketchbook by one of the characters, abundant labels throughout, and scientific backmatter.

Tomorrow's Alphabet


George Shannon - 1996
    A is for seed, B is for eggs, C is for milk -- what's going on here? The seed is tomorrows Apple, the eggs are tomorrows Birds, the milk is tomorrows Cheese! Explore a wonderful world of possibility with an imaginative alphabet puzzle that encouraged young readers to look beyond the obvious.

Cloud Dance


Thomas Locker - 2000
    Journey across the heavens through thick cumulus clouds, wispy cirrus clouds, and wide stratus clouds as they dance through every season of the year. Thomas Locker introduces young readers to the basic science of our natural world with brilliant illustrations and poetic prose.

John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien


Caroline McAlister - 2017
    R. R. Tolkien.John Ronald loved dragons. He liked to imagine dragons when he was alone, and with his friends, and especially when life got hard or sad. After his mother died and he had to live with a cold-hearted aunt, he looked for dragons. He searched for them at his boarding school. And when he fought in a Great War, he felt as if terrible, destructive dragons were everywhere. But he never actually found one, until one day, when he was a grown man but still very much a boy at heart, when he decided to create one of his own. John Ronald's Dragons, a picture book biography by Caroline McAlister and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, introduces the beloved creator of Middle Earth and author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to a new generation of children who see magic in the world around them.

How I Learned Geography


Uri Shulevitz - 2008
    Food is scarce, so when the boy's father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could.The award-winning artist's most personal work to date is based on his childhood memories of World War II and features stunning illustrations that celebrate the power of imagination. An author's note includes a brief description of his family's experience, two of his early drawings, and the only surviving photograph of himself from that time.How I Learned Geography is a 2009 Caldecott Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Big Words for Little Geniuses


Susan Patterson - 2017
    Adults will appreciate the "juxtaposition" of young kids properly using impressive words that many grownups may not have heard of before! Includes a list of extra words in the back for further learning.

B is for Bear: A Natural Alphabet


Hannah Viano - 2015
    Celebrated paper artist Hannah Viano has created this beautiful alphabet book that will appeal to children as well as adults. The flora, fauna, and landscape elements in this book are found throughout North America, so readers around the country will connect with Viano's gorgeous art and text that are both scientific and poetic.

The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings


Richard Byrne - 2018
    The chalks are drawing flowers on the chalkboard, but someone keeps stealing their artwork! Who could the thief be? Fortunately, Sergeant Blue is on the case and determined to solve the crime.

The Adventures of Polo


Régis Faller - 2006
    Polo's journey is packed with incident and expression; 80 pages of seamless, satisfying picture storytelling are perfectly targeted to the youngest reader. Unique, dynamic, and playful, The Adventures of Polo calls to mind the worlds of film animation, comics, and classic books from Harold and the Purple Crayon to The Snowman--and has style, appeal, and substance all its very own.

You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum


Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman - 1998
    But its string becomes untied, and the balloon embarks on an uproarious journey through New York City. With an ever-increasing cast of wacky urban characters in tow, it soars past a host of landmarks. Eighteen famous paintings and sculptures are reproduced in this delightful, wordless book that explores the magical relationship between art and life.