Using Picturebooks to Teach Art History

Abstract

Many children receive their first exposure to art during storytime, as an adult reads from a picturebook and they observe the illustrations. Such reading experiences provide opportunities to introduce children to the world of visual art, specifically to teach about artists of the past, particular artistic styles, or schools of art. The purpose of this article is to discuss the implications of using picturebooks to teach art history, to provide examples that illustrate the artistic resources found in picturebooks, and to consider methods of developing an awareness of artistic techniques through children's literature.