Tales2Tails

Create amazing creatures, incredible toys, and wild gifts for your friends and family. All it takes is some paint, a few rocks, and your imagination!

Easy-to-follow instructions from rock painting expert Lin Wellford will teach you how to create:
 

• Rockasaurs
• Stone buildings
• Rockburgers and other fun foods
• Flowers
• Teddy bears
• And other awesome rock projects perfect for decorating any space!

Also included are tips and tricks to make your rocks into masterpieces!

You’ll learn how to draw each design on a rock with a pencil, then paint the details in whatever colors you choose. You can make each project look just like the real thing or as wild and wacky as you prefer. The choice is yours—and so is the fun!

Art is everywhere! Test your art history knowledge and hone your detective skills as you crack each compelling case in this engaging game-in-a-book, the latest in the popular Sleuth & Solve series!

Looking for an awesome book of "who done it" mysteries for kids and adults? Sleuth & Solve encourages readers of all ages to practice deduction, inference, and logical reasoning to crack each case--and develop critical thinking skills at the same time.

In Sleuth & Solve: Art, 20+ mind-bending mysteries are inspired by a wide range of art periods and styles, from prehistoric art to Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and more. Clues are embedded in every detail, and unexpected twists put your wits to the test! Bonus activities allow readers to create their own art, too.

Solving this collection of mini mysteries takes strong logic, a nimble imagination, and an artist's sensibility. Play solo or with friends, collecting points for cracking each compelling case to reveal whose artsy sleuthing skills reign supreme.

ARTFUL MYSTERY PUZZLE BOOK: From Encyclopedia Brown and Sherlock Holmes to CLUE and Murdle, mysteries transfix, engage, and entertain. Following the previous books in the Sleuth & Solve series, this art-themed edition is a smart, age-appropriate spin on mysteries for kids who enjoy brain teasers and puzzles.

PLAY TOGETHER TO WIN: Readers get points for solving each mystery correctly, encouraging teamwork and interactivity. A great alternative to video games and screen time, these one-page mysteries with detailed artwork offer hours of engaging entertainment. Perfect for family fun!

GREAT FOR ARTISTS & ART LOVERS: Calling all art fans! Each mystery is art-themed, giving readers key clues about art movements and creators. Bonus project ideas at the back of the book give readers the chance to create their own art inspired by what they've learned.

Perfect for:

• Fans of mysteries, brain teasers, puzzles, and logic games
• Kids who enjoy art-themed activities
• Parents and caregivers of reluctant readers
• Teachers and librarians seeking engaging, art-themed content

Be inspired by ground-breaking artists from around the world, then test out their amazing techniques at home with 25 fun step-by-step activities.



Jam-packed with imaginative ideas for all kinds of creative crafts . . . this book will make YOU an artist!



Pick up your pencils, collect your collage materials, and take inspiration from 25 of the world's best-known artists in this fact-filled book full of activities.



Discover famous masterpieces through the included photographs of real works of art -- from ancient cave painting to contemporary performance -- and lots more in between!

In a bountiful book combining art and chemistry, a celebrated ink maker invites kids to become color wizards--by foraging and transforming natural materials to make their own paint and artistic creations.

In this book you will find secret recipes, magic formulas, and wild experiments that will delight your friends, intimidate your enemies, and turn you into a color wizard.

What colors might await in a leafy forest, a berry-stained back alley, a seaweedy beach, or even the dark corners of an ordinary fridge? With this book as a guide, curious young wizards can make natural confetti, unlock the hidden color power inside a leaf, and craft a paintbrush wand. They'll brew magic potions from beets and acorn caps to produce their own colors, from the darkest black to the palest pink to invisible ink, then share their discoveries with friends, family, and the whole color-hungry human race. With whimsy and infectious enthusiasm, master ink maker Jason Logan explains the science of color while presenting "quests," recipes, and hands-on activities using materials kids can find in their own homes and neighborhoods. Featuring both photographs and the author's own gorgeous homemade-ink illustrations, How to Be a Color Wizard is an ideal blend of art and science--plus a little bit of magic.

An inspiring and affirming book on drawing and how to think about drawing, for kids and all curious humans ages 8 and up. 
For fans of Wreck This Journal, Wreck This Picture Book and Making Comics.

What happens when you pick up a pencil? How do you talk to yourself about drawing while you're drawing? Where do your scribbles start and where do they lead? 

Are you ready to find out?

With acclaimed art and editorial director of Illustoria and author-illustrator Elizabeth Haidle as your guide through the world of art, Drawing Is . . . is an essential and captivating guide to drawing, brimming with artful exercises and perfect for anyone seeking a creative adventure.

If you've ever picked up a pencil, drawn, stopped drawing, started again, doodle without purpose, sketched with intention, been disappointed with your art and thrown it out, yet turned the page to try a new experiment . . . this book is for you.

All you need is a drawing surface. A drawing tool. A dot. And a line. Whatever your skill level, you're invited to draw along.

This title includes step-by-step instructions for projects in drawing, jewelry making, leather and metalworking, painting, woodworking, and more. Features include sections on preparation and safety, the elements of design, composition, and color theory. Informative sidebars provide additional information. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Encyclopedias is an imprint of Abdo Reference, a division of ABDO.

Go on an artistic journey around the world in this children's introduction.

Discover the power of art and be inspired by cultures from all over the world with this extensive children's guide. This book is the perfect introduction for young readers to the world of art and celebrates different styles from every continent!

Children aged 9+ can enjoy reading about early art right through to present day, and learn about the fascinating lives and achievements of great artists and sculptors, from Leonardo da Vinci to Tracey Emin and Henry Moore. All the essential information about art is covered, including the major movements, artists from around the world and techniques.

This art book for children offers: 

- Chapters which cover a huge range of artistic styles, from the very first cave paintings to contemporary art installations.
- Profiles of influential artists from Katsushika Hokusai to Jackson Pollock.
- A focus on key techniques and the famous artists who used them.Fun activities to create frescoes and sculptures for yourself. 

Children's Book of Art is full of facts and photos highlighting artistic styles from across the globe, from the very earliest cave paintings through to Renaissance art and surrealism, via China's terracotta army and African sculptors. 

Plus, there are fun activities and projects so children can create their own works of art - making it the perfect gift for budding painters and sculptors.

More in the series

The Children's Book of series inspires young learners to dive into their favorite topic and immerse themselves in the ins and outs, from fun facts to experts in the field. If you liked Children's Book of Art, then why not try the guide for budding musicians, Children's Book of Music?

Tangle Art and Drawing Games for Kids is perfect for families who want to sneak a little more creativity into their lives and have fun doing it. It's about exploring, experimenting, and getting lost in creativity. It's not focused on goals, but on enjoying the process.

Professional artist Jeanette Nyberg brings to life 46 drawing games that offer playful, easy ways to get a pen moving across a page, help keep the mind focused, and provide hours of edifying entertainment. Move through the book at your own pace. Start with basic drawing games, followed by a section of activities that can be done with friends, then work with some mixed-media activities, and end with awesome tangle art games. Each activity includes ideas for how to "Make it Silly," and ways to vary the themes so you can play the games over and over.

Families will make exciting discoveries, find creative ways to spend their time, master visual and manual skills, and most importantly, have fun!

From intimate family portraits to vast landscapes, American painting has something for everyone. Try fun activities like locating a dog in a Colonial family portrait; examine incredibly realistic trompe l’oeil; discover New York City’s “Ash Can School”; and see how Jackson Pollack created colorful abstract art by splattering paint on canvases.
 

Looking for quick and easy drawing projects for you makerspace? Look no further! From kittens and race cars to aliens and castles, these amazing 10-minute drawing projects will have kids making in no time! -- back cover.

A collection of charmingly illustrated and inspiring profiles of fifty pioneering female artists, from the eleventh century to today—by the New York Times bestselling author of Women in Science

“A beautifully illustrated, fact-filled breath of fresh air! Countless women have been left out of art history, but thanks to gorgeous books like this, future generations will begin to know their stories.”—Danielle Krysa, founder of The Jealous Curator 

Women make masterpieces! Through fifty fascinating profiles, Women in Art highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable women in the arts—from well-known figures like painters Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keefe, to lesser-known names like nineteenth-century African American quilter Harriet Powers and Hopi-Tewa ceramic artist Nampeyo. 
 
Covering a wide array of artistic mediums, Women in Art also contains infographics about artistic movements throughout history, statistics about women’s representation in museums, and notable works by women. This fascinating book celebrates the success of the bold female creators who inspired the world and paved the way for the next generation of artists.

#1 New York Times bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud team up for a one-of-a-kind friendship story about creativity and self-expression that blends how-to and comics magic. Welcome to the club!

Makayla is bursting with ideas but doesn't know how to make them into a story. Howard loves to draw, but he struggles to come up with ideas and his dad thinks comics are a waste of time. Lynda constantly draws in her sketchbook but keeps focusing on what she feels are mistakes, and Art simply loves being creative and is excited to try something new. They come together to form The Cartoonists Club, where kids can learn about making comics and use their creativity and imagination for their own storytelling adventures!

A “witty thriller” (The New York Times) for middle-grade readers about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world—and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all.

SIBERT MEDAL WINNER • BOSTON GLOBE—HORN BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, NPR, The New York Public Library, The Chicago Public Library, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago, a desperate guard burst into the office of the director of the Louvre and shouted, La Joconde, c’est partie! The Mona Lisa, she’s gone!

No one knew who was behind the heist. Was it an international gang of thieves? Was it an art-hungry American millionaire? Was it the young Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, who was about to remake the very art of painting?

Travel back to an extraordinary period of revolutionary change: turn-of-the-century Paris. Walk its backstreets. Meet the infamous thieves—and detectives—of the era. And then slip back further in time and follow Leonardo da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa, through his dazzling, wondrously weird life. Discover the secret at the heart of the Mona Lisa—the most famous painting in the world should never have existed at all.

Here is a middle-grade nonfiction, with black-and-white illustrations by Brett Helquist throughout, written at the pace of a thriller, shot through with stories of crime and celebrity, genius and beauty.

A semiautobiographical middle-grade graphic novel about frenemies, fitting in, and finding your voice.

Cecil Hall and his family have just moved from Florida to Massachusetts, near Boston. Cecil is anxious about making friends because he doesn't know where he'll fit in. His older sister, Leah, thinks he should befriend the other black kids at his new school, but Cecil isn't sure how he'd go about doing that. He wants to be known for his comics-making talent, anyway. But the few kids who are impressed by Cecil's art aren't always nice to him. When one of his drawings is misused and gets him into serious trouble, can Cecil stand up for himself and figure out who his real friends are?

Art Lab for Kids is a refreshing source of wonderful ideas for creating fine art with children. This step-by-step book offers 52 fun and creative art projects set into weekly lessons, beginning with drawing, moving through painting and printmaking, and then building to paper collage and mixed media. 

Each lesson features and relates to the work and style of a contemporary artist and their unique style. The labs can be used as singular projects or to build up to a year of hands-on fine art experiences. Grouped by medium, the labs are set up loosely to build skills upon the previous ones; however, you can begin anywhere.

Have fun exploring:

• drawing by creating a whimsical scene on a handmade crayon scratchboard.
• painting by using watercolors and salt to create a textured landscape.
• printmaking by using lemons, celery, mushrooms, and other produce to make colorful prints.
• paper by creating an expressive self-portrait using pieces of colored tissue paper.
• mixed media by making insects from patterned contact paper and watercolor pencils.

Color photos illustrate how different people using the same lesson will yield different results, exemplifying the way the lesson brings out each artist’s personal style. Art Lab for Kids is the perfect book for creative families, friends, and community groups and works as lesson plans for both experienced and new art teachers.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Tea Dragon Society, this is a magically heartwarming graphic novel about self-acceptance and friendship.

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy--the best magic school in the realm--even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she's never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can't remember where he came from. Even so, he's everything Sophie isn't--beloved by Sophie's family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir's attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she's doing is wrong, but without Lir's help, can she prove herself?

* Featured on the Today Show * An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A Nerdist Best Comic of the Year * A Book Riot Best Book of the Year * A Mighty Girl's Best Book of the Year * An ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children *

This title focuses on museum heists and details the most daring ones through history, the crews that pulled them off, and the impact they had on the victims and world. This hi-lo title is complete with vibrant photographs, simple text, glossary, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Fly! is an imprint of Abdo Zoom, a division of ABDO.

From New York Times bestselling author Gale Galligan, a fun, high-energy graphic novel about friendship, family, and the last hurrahs of middle school.

Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd... until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?

"Manga animals can be fanged and fierce or cute and cuddly. Learn to draw five manga animals, including a munching panda, rearing horse, and striking cobra. Alongside the step-by-step instructions for mastering each manga animal, helpful hints teach aspiring artists techniques of the trade and fun facts help readers learn more about the creatures they are creating"--

A PRINTZ HONOR BOOK • Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant novel-in-verse. 

“In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on. . . . The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems, which are accessible and engaging.”—The New York Times Book Review

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

The Colors of Mackinac Island takes readers on a photographic tour of Mackinac Island showing all the colors of the rainbow and more. See what colors you can find at the Round Island Lighthouse, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Bridge, Arch Rock, and Main Street. You'll also see horses, butterflies, bicycles, carriages, and fudge -- of course! The Colors of Mackinac is a great way to teach young readers the colors of the rainbow while sharing memories of the Island.

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg’s beloved classic and Newbery Medal­–winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler!

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort-she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because be was a miser and would have money.

Claudia was a good organizer and Jamie bad some ideas, too; so the two took up residence at the museum right on schedule. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she bad discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too.

The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Without her—well, without her, Claudia might never have found a way to go home.