These vibrant picture book biographies introduce young readers to creative thinkers who transformed imagination into meaningful art. From abstract painters and revolutionary printmakers to innovative sculptors and glass artists, each story shows how curiosity, resilience, and self-expression shape both art and identity. Art is not just about talent—it’s about looking at the world in a new way, embracing challenges, and having the courage to create something uniquely your own. Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony Written by Lisa Rogers Illustrated by Stacy Innerst New York, NY : Calkins Creek, 2025. Biography. This is the story of abstract artist Joan Mitchell, and it centers on the creation of her 21-painting La Grande Vallée series finished in 1983 at her studio outside Paris. Inspired by a friend’s description of a secluded French valley she never actually saw, Mitchell transformed memory and emotion into sweeping, expressive canvases rather than literal landscapes. Through musical metap...
A Kid Like Me By Norm Feuti New York : HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperColins Publishers, 2026. Comic. 261 pages. Ethan is worried about standing out at his new middle school for all the wrong reasons: namely that he doesn't have as much money as the affluent kids who will also be attending. Ethan's single mother is working as hard as she can at big box store to provide for their family, but they still can’t afford cool clothes and shoes he sees his classmates wearing. In fact, with no child support money coming in from his father, Ethan's mom can only provide him with her old flip phone - which he's so embarrassed by that he lies and tells kids he doesn't have a phone at all. To make matters worse, as Ethan and his best friend drift apart, he also has to work to find new friends - many of which come from the Battle Bots Club that he joins after school. Feuti does an excellent job of bringing up issues of class without the book feeling too heavy. In fact, if your...