Books That Teach Art, Music and Science to your Preschooler

Rhyming text well-suited to a few of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, such as Sunflowers, The Starry Night, and First Steps (After Millet), makes this an invaluable introduction to art appreciation for your little one.

Collect them all and have a fantastic art collection at your fingertips.

“I just can’t draw,” cries a frustrated Vashti as she turns her back on her blank paper. Gentle encouragement and wise words guide Vashti into experimenting with what she can do. Small dots, big dots, red dots, blue dots even a dot “by not painting a dot.” She then goes on a painting spree, which leads a little boy, who declares he cannot draw, to call her a “really great artist.” Beautiful illustrations by award winning artist, Peter H. Reynolds, make this a gem to behold. Children, encouraged by the wise words of author, will be tasked to ìjust make a mark and see where it takes you.

Follow her adventures as she jumps in and out of the paintings of George Seurat, Camille Pissarro, and Paul Signac.

Rush Hour at Pontoise by Camille Pisarro

A little angel hugging a smiling baby sets the tone of this classic masterpiece. Children, all laughing and having fun, follow the letters of the alphabet. The classic song, popularized by Perry Como in the 1940s, describes every child in perfect detail. “A you’re adorable, B you’re so beautiful, C you’re a cutie full of charms . . .” This book provides a welcome change from the traditional alphabet song.

Vibrant illustrations, bursting with every color of the rainbow, give this classic song sung by Louis Armstrong a lively twist. Multi-racial characters showing their love for their planet strikes a chord in these times when care and concern for planet Earth has reached fever pitch.

“Sometimes, I use all my senses at once. Sometimes, I use only one.” A delightful attempt to teach one of the earliest concepts kids should learn. SMART TIP: This is part of the Letís Read and Find-Out Science series, which introduces science concepts for young children. Choose from three stages, according to the level of your child.

Jenny and her dog, Patch, try to find ways to stay cool under the hot sun. This book tackles the subject of heat and evaporation in a very concrete way, making it much easier for children to understand. Bonus: There are some good experiments to try at the last page. SMART TIP: This is part of the A First Book About Science series. Science concepts, such as heat, energy, water, motion, and senses, are presented in a language tots will understand.