Art and creativity

This little but lively book is part of Tiny Owl’s ​“Children. Music. Life” series, which focuses on musical instruments from around the world, created by award-winning picture book author and artist Ken Wilson-Max. In this book, we meet the drum.

A young boy looks up to his older sister but feels lonely when they argue. He shares his feelings through pictures, and they grow closer. 

A girl imagines herself on a journey along a river with each double page spread showing a new, beautifully illustrated scene. A story about the power of the imagination.

Can Stanley’s octopus help Stanley face his fears? A moving and visually stunning book about expressing your emotions through art – with a lovely father-son relationship at its heart. 

In a wonderful allegorical story highlighting a crucial part of Black history, superstar children’s author Trish Cooke tells a tale inspired by the real stories of enslaved Africans who made patterns in their cornrowed hair, using them as maps to escape their enslavers.

Aaron loves to listen to stories. He cannot wait to create his own tales, but first, he must learn to read. However, Aaron finds it hard to make sense of the squiggles on the page. This wonderfully creative tale celebrates self-expression and demonstrates there is more than one way to tell a story.

Children join in to draw a beautiful garden with chalk. A gorgeous picture book celebrating community and the positive effect art has on everyone. 

The masterstroke of this dreamy picture book by the former Children’s Laureate is to focus on Frida Kahlo’s childhood and see the little girl behind the icon. In turn, many children will relate to its themes of bullying and belonging, imagination and hope.

Join Gigi the giraffe and her students as they explore a gallery, learning about colour and art.

A young dinosaur artist (looking a bit like a T‑rex but a cute one) sees the dinosaur world as full of joy and beauty, something that some dinosaurs are too busy to notice. She sees all that, draws and paints it and makes it into her art.

This is a lovely story about storytelling which extends the invitation to the reader to continue the tale after the last page has been turned.

Another ingenious interactive book from the creator of Press Here. You can paint with just your hand! 

Follow Tyrone as he endeavours to build a rocket ship to take him to the moon in this fun book from Lenny Henry that encourages imagination and determination.

Fiona Robinson’s beautifully blue book about the life of 19th-century born Anna Atkins is an inspiring testament to a father’s commitment to his daughter’s education, and to her passion for the natural world. Young nature lovers will be inspired by Anna’s story.

An appealing, meaningful and well-researched book, perfectly pitched for older primary aged children. It’s impossible not to be inspired by the work of these women artists, and hopefully learning about their contributions will ensure a new generation of artists.

Illustrated in fascinating detail by Katie Hickey, this is a truly brilliant book for any child interested in skyscrapers, big bridges and sports stadiums. There’s a good level of how-to information here as well as a handy glossary.

Jake Williams’ brilliant overview of the famous polymath’s work, including his legacy today, is presented with beautiful graphic illustration that really draws the reader in and is sure to inspire many young inventors, artists and musicians.

When Ted Spark’s Aunt Gloria is framed for the theft of a painting from the Guggenheim Museum, he must race through the streets of New York to find the real culprit. An exciting and heartwarming tale from Robin Stevens, continuing the legacy of late author Siobhan Dowd.

A magical pencil takes art-mad Peanut and her friends on a quest beyond her wildest imagination in the search for her lost father.

For thousands of years, the work of brilliant female creatives has gone unappreciated, whether they were taking part in weaving, sewing, embroidery or crockery. This fascinating book profiles wonderful women artists from across the world and gives their work the attention it deserves.

The story centres on Dylan Hughes, the only boy left in a small Welsh mountain town called Manod. This is an immensely entertaining book, about the power of art to bring about change and to redeem.

Art-enthusiast Trixie Pickle has a secret superhero identity: as the Art Avenger, she embarks on top secret, art-inspired missions to tackle injustice and challenge bullies. Bursting with zany characters, comic strip illustrations and fact files on real artists, this hilarious tale is hugely entertaining.