Matisse, the King of Color

Title: Matisse, the King of Color
Author: Laurence Anholt
Illustrator: Laurence Anholt

Type: realistic fiction
Approximate Interest Level: K-12
Publisher: Barron's 

Date of Publication: 2007
ISBN: 978-0764160479

Synopsis: Through the eyes of his nurse, the reader is introduced to Henri Matisse at the point in his life when he is an invalid.  The story talks about his love of color and shapes.  In the story he paints, draws on the ceiling, cuts shapes from paper, and designs stained glass windows.

 

Possible Teaching Points: 1) Henri Matisse, 2) art

Hailstones and Halibut Bones

Title: Hailstones and Halibut Bones
Author: Mary O'Neill

Illustrator: John Wallner
Type: Poetry
Approximate Interest Level: K-12th
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Date of Publication: 1989
ISBN: 978-0385410786

Synopsis: This book contains a series of poems all based on color.  The poems cover blue, pink, yellow, orange, black, white, gray, brown, purple, gold, red, and green. 

Lesson plan links

Possible Teaching Points: 1) art, 2) color

Duke Ellington

Title: Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra
Author: Andrea Davis Pinkney

Illustrator: Brian Pinkney
Type: Biography
Approximate Interest Level: K-6th
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Date of Publication: 1998
ISBN: 978-0812064094

Synopsis: This book is a Caldecott Honor book, and a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award.  A walk through Duke Ellington's life beginning with his birth in 1899.  The reader is introduced to Duke Ellington and his musical style, as well as key member's of Duke's orchestra.  Colorful illustrations support a rich, narrative text.   

Lesson plan links

Possible Teaching Points: 1) jazz music, 2) musical styles, 3) biography, 4) Duke Ellington

Camille and the Sunflowers

Title: Camille and the Sunflowers
Author: Laurence Anholt

Illustrator: Laurence Anholt
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: K-6th
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

Date of Publication: 1994
ISBN: 978-0812064094

Synopsis: Camille encounters a stranger one day; a man with a straw hat and a yellow beard.  To make him feel welcome, Camille picks sunflowers for his room.  The man paints pictures of Camille's family (the paintings depicted in the book are the real paintings painted by Vincent Van Gogh).  When Camille shares the paintings with his friends, they laugh.  The townspeople run the painter out of town.  When Camille goes to his room to look for him, he finds a painting of sunflowers.

Lesson plan links

Lesson plan links

Possible Teaching Points: 1) art history, 2) Vincent Van Gogh

The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments

Title: The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments
Author: Arnold Lobel
Illustrator: Arnold Lobel
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: K-6
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: January 1994
ISBN: 978-0064433167

Synopsis: An engaging story about a medieval wizard that creates the color blue in his basement. The townspeople paint everything blue, but soon tire of it.  They implore the wizard to make something new, so he creates yellow.  Again, everything gets painted yellow, but not for long.  On the third attempt, the wizard creates red, and everything gets painted red.  The fourth time around, the wizard can't create any new colors.  Ultimately, his pots of blue, yellow, and red overflow and mix together creating secondary and tertiary colors.  He tells the townspeople that they must use all the colors this time round.

Lesson plan link

Possible teaching points: 1) primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, 2) emotions related to color