Art Through Children's Literature

Book excerpt: The award-winning illustrations of 57 Caldecott Books (1938-1994) have inspired a multitude of lessons that guide students in creating art with similar qualities. Focusing on such principles and elements as line, color, texture, shape, value, and space, these classroom-tested projects have step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and detailed illustrations for teachers who have little or no art training. Various art media are explored, including pencil, crayon, marker, colored pencil, chalk, stencils, collage, watercolor, tempera, color mixing, and printmaking. These projects use limited materials so they're great for the classroom as well as the art room.