Georges Seurat, an artist that was meticulous about color, had a brief, but very impactful, art career in the late 1800s. Like many artists, he was classically trained. That traditional style didn’t match his passion, though. The books on this list will help children see what made Seurat such a unique artist. They’ll learn about his interest in the science of color, his systematic painting process, and the paintings that made him famous. Several of the books encourage kids to make their own art, too!
This series is a favorite of art teachers and parents alike. In this edition, kids will get a front-row seat to Seurat’s life and art. They will laugh at the cartoon illustrations and jokes, but they will be learning about Seurat on every page. The book explains Seurat’s artistic style and includes full-color reproductions of some of his most famous paintings. Read this one alongside your elementary-aged children.
This nonfiction picture book takes an interesting approach to explaining Seurat’s revolutionary artistic style of Pointillism. There’s not much background information on the artist’s life, but his style is explained in a kid-friendly manner. Kids learn about optics and how colors mix in the viewer’s eye. They also learn about the kind of trial-and-error process Seurat went through when creating his paintings. It takes a close look at A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte and gives a one-paragraph overview of a few of his other pieces. Read this one with elementary children who love to learn about the details behind paintings!
Use this “Mini Masters” board book to teach little ones about George Seurat! It showcases seven of Seurat’s most famous paintings alongside short, rhyming text. Even young children will want to sit and study each piece. Adults can point out the style and colors of each one to add even more depth to the book. Overall, this book gives parents an easy way to introduce George Seurat to babies and preschoolers.
In this book, Caldecott medalist David Wiesner presents the story of two animal artists. One is a serious artist with lots of experience named Arthur. The other is an enthusiastic beginner named Max. With funny outbursts and a few misunderstandings, Art learns that using a little more creative expression is a good thing. Pointillism is even featured in one of the illustrations! This story brings the two characters to life in a playful way. Read it with preschoolers and early elementary kids.
This introductory biography gives kids a basis for understanding Seurat’s life and greatest works. It begins with a biography of the artist and takes a deeper look at seven of his paintings. There’s a brief section at the end that provides instructions on “How to Paint Like Seurat.” The illustrations feature close-up images of Pointillism so that readers can get a feel for the style. Older elementary kids can read this one on their own.
Use this activity book as a way for children to show you what they know about Georges Seurat and his paintings. A brief biography is included in the beginning pages. The remainder of the book is filled with writing prompts, vocabulary match-ups, sequencing activities, and other ways to reinforce learning. Kids are encouraged to make their own art, too! Work through the book with 2nd, 3rd, or 4th graders.
It’s a hot day, but Katie is stuck at the art museum. She wants to go swimming so badly that she jumps right into Georges Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières. From there, she jumps into several other scenes from famous paintings and finds a few friends along the way. But, as she’s going, all of the water from the Seine River begins pouring into the art gallery. Read this one with early elementary kids to see the magical ending!
With this book, kids will focus on one specific painting from Seurat: A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte. Instead of providing a lengthy biography, the author gives a whole-picture view of the way Seurat created this painting and what the world was like during his artistic career. Kids will learn about artistic styles, life in Paris, the people in the painting, and the development of Pointillism. A timeline is included, too. Read this one alongside elementary kids.
100 individual words about art are included in this book, each one on its own page with a vintage-style illustration and 100 words to describe the term. You’ll go from ink to marble to Pointillism to spatial design. It provides an interesting look at obvious art terms and some that may be new, even to adults! Elementary kids will enjoy paging through this one.
Practice Pointillism with your toddlers! This dot marker coloring book makes it easy. The simple pages each feature a friendly zoo animal with its name. There are more than two dozen dot pages and bonus pages, too. It’s a perfect activity for taking on the go or a boredom-busting activity for a rainy day.
Have you ever heard of a tunnel book? It’s a book with several sheets layered on top of one another and connected by accordion-like sides. You look through the tunnel at one end to see all of the layered illustrations in the book. This tunnel book gives kids a 3D look at Seurat’s most famous painting. It’s sure to give them a new perspective on his paintings and his unique style!
Meet The Primary Kids. They’re four multicultural children who go on adventures to meet some of the world’s most famous artists. In this book, their magic sketchbook will take them into the world of Georges Seurat. They’ll spend an afternoon with him and learn all about A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte. This book makes an informative read-aloud for early elementary kids.
This booklet features reproductions of 16 of Seurat’s paintings on small stickers. The Circus, Young Woman Powdering Herself, The Seine at Courbevoie, A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte, Les Poseuses, and others are included. Use these stickers in a journal, on a notebook cover, or wherever else kids would like to see fine art!
Learn to create art based on the style of 60 famous artists. A short biography of each artist is included on the first page of every spread, and you’ll get step-by-step instructions for making your own art on the second page! Projects vary in difficulty so that kids of all ages can participate. Go through the book in order or jump around to the projects that interest you most—both methods will be successful. Use it to engage elementary kids in a wide variety of artistic styles.
More coloring fun with Seurat’s paintings! This one includes eight of his pieces that have been beautifully illustrated with a level of detail that’s perfect for elementary kids and adults, too. Kids can use crayons, markers, or colored pencils on these pages. They may even want to make small dots of color in order to follow Seurat’s Pointillism style. Color together as you discuss Seurat’s style and his paintings!
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