One of the most valuable qualities adults can foster in young minds is a sense of creativity. A combination of having the imagination to dream of what is not yet there with the confidence to craft it into being, creativity can set kids up for a lifetime of critical thinking, planning, and feeling pride and accomplishment over what they’ve brought to life. In the spirit of this, we’ve gathered seven picture books that celebrate the joys of creativity: its ups, its downs, and its singular, spectacular results.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
A much-beloved ode to the creative voice within us all, this title has become a modern classic since its publication a little over ten years ago. At the end of art class, Vashti sits alone at her desk, her paper blank. When her teacher inquires why she didn’t try to draw anything, Vashti insists that she “just CAN’T draw!” Sagely, the teacher offers the advice to at least try: “Just make a mark, and see where it takes you.” Angrily smashing her marker into the blank paper to make a dot, the teacher insists that Vashti signs it and then displays it in a frame. Nonplussed with her lackluster effort, Vashti determines that she can do better than the dot and begins a creative journey that leads to her not only finding her artistic voice but also inspiring others to do the same.
Lonely Bird’s Dream by Ruth Whiting
Picking up from the first story in this series, Lonely Bird — a child’s drawing that has come to life — has many wonderings about the world. While she enjoys her home and the family that lives with her, she’s curious about where she fits. After all, if she’s a bird, shouldn’t she be able to fly? After a night spent dreaming of soaring through the sky, Lonely Bird decides to use her creative powers to build herself a flying contraption. Yet will her contraption lead her to the clouds, or perhaps a new friend instead? The captivating miniature world of this title is surely one that will capture the imaginations of young readers, yet will also leave them with the message that even if their art doesn’t take them exactly where they planned on going, it can often lead them right to where they want to be.
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
It all started with one mistake: an artist, drawing a girl, makes one eye a bit larger than the other. Trying to correct it by making the other eye bigger doesn’t help, so the artist draws glasses to hide the uneven eyes, which works perfectly. On it goes: the artist makes mistakes, but finds increasingly creative ways to cover them that end up making the drawing even more beautiful. At last, the drawing is finished, and the reader is left with the lesson that mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of — oftentimes, they make us even better than we were before. This message is then cleverly woven into the cute, then exciting, then absolutely majestic illustrations. A fabulous lesson that making mistakes is a natural part of life, encouraging young readers to take risks, create art, be themselves, and most importantly, make mistakes.
Boxitects by Kim Smith
Young Meg is an incredibly talented boxitect. She makes incredible creations out of nothing more than cardboard boxes and art supplies: tiny houses, twisty tunnels, and even things that no one else could imagine before! Upon going to Maker School, Meg is impressed by the creative powers of her classmates, yet secretly glad that no one uses the same medium as her — until Simone shows up. A clever and creative boxitect as well, Simone immediately gets under Meg’s skin, and the two girls even up in a rivalry that becomes all about tearing one another down rather than building things up. Can the two make peace before the big school competition? Both a humorous ode to the creative drive and an always-needed reminder that the best creators support their fellow creators and that collaborative teamwork can make the results of creative efforts twice as sweet.
Art & Max by David Wiesner
Art and Max are two lizards who are fellow artists and … friends? Tough to say when Max’s exuberance for creation seems to rile up the more staid and fastidious Arthur. When Max decides to let loose his creativity on Art (literally), the persnickety lizard falls to pieces (again, literally), leaving Max to use his artistic instincts and creative abilities to put his friend back together again. A slightly surrealist yet undeniably stunning look at the process of making a finished product from scratch using only the image in one’s mind, this hilariously oddball tale will enchant with its splendid visual style while offering a comforting and empowering lesson to young makers: take chances, and stick around to see what wonderful things they may lead you to create.
What Can a Mess Make? by Bee Johnson
Two siblings spend the day puttering around their home, making messes everywhere they go. Yet those chocolate syrup splatters and berry stains; are they a mess? Or are they a lovely meal for two? A hose, funnel, and empty tissue box; are they junk? Or the makings of a marching band’s instruments? As the day unfolds, craft supplies make art, a tree trunk makes a picnic, and blankets make a cozy reading nook. Sibling disagreements make frustrations, which make arguments, which make apologies, and two friendship bracelets make up for everything. A warm hug of a book, this is both a lovely ode to sibling relationships and to the joy of making messes, especially ones that turn into adventures, works of art, or precious memories to share.
Be a Maker by Katey Howes, Illustrated by Elizabet Vuković
What’s the first thing you ask yourself when you wake up? Is it ever, “What can I make today?” For the unnamed child protagonist of this title, this question is seemingly the thing that gets them out of bed each morning: the idea that there are things to make using only imagination and items from around the house. Toys and a waste bin? A towering skyscraper! Cardboard and an old umbrella? A spaceship! There is even more to make beyond the house: outside, the child makes a friend. Together, they make a lemonade stand and then use the profits to make a donation to the neighborhood park. Deftly connecting the act of using ingenuity and conviction to make things — including using those powers to connect with and do good for others — this book shows how cultivating creativity can make a better world.
We hope that you and the young readers in your life enjoy these books, and that they inspire you to create something of your own. Happy reading!
For more of our favorite children’s books about budding creatives, check out our Three to Read, Jr. article on Reads That Will Inspire Emerging Young Artists to Create.
For all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
