Art-inspired books for children:

Children's books can be a great source of inspiration or example for your little artist.  They might also be interested to know that book illustration is a job that artists can have.  Here are some great illustrators and a few notes about the example they provide:

Eric Carle:  A favorite among teachers, his illustrations incorporate color, texture and collage.  Books include The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Tiny Seed, The Very Busy Spider.

Leo Lionni:  Also a great collage example.  Books include Matthew's Dream (about a mouse who wants to be a painter, this is also a good book for introducing the museum to you kids), Frederick (About a poet who uses colors, among other things, as inspiration), and Swimmy.

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds is a great book, not just for the illustrations, but for the story.  It teaches kids that they don't have to be great at drawing in a traditional sense in order to be artists.

Faith Ringgold:  Tar Beach and other books she writes and illustrates are wonderful stories, and showcase her mixed media and quilt work.

Elisa Kleven:  The Lion and the Little Red Bird is another story about a painter and the inspiration he (the lion) draws from nature.  The illustrations are beautiful mixed media works combining paper collage, paint and other materials, showing texture and intricate patterns. Elisa Kleven's own web site has some great lessons & activities based on her books. Take a look.

The Umbrella Queen by Shirin Bridges, Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.  This is a great story about a girl who learns to paint in a traditional way, but then lets her heart and creativity take over.

Ya Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont, Illustrated by David Catrow.  This book makes my daughter laugh.  The illustrations are adorable.  Caution: it might inspire your kids to paint themselves.

Some great alternatives to coloring books are Doodles, Scribbles, and Squiggles by Taro Gomi.  These books inspire creativity and fun with kids (and adults--I'm actually dying to get one myself!) with instructions like