Art Activity Books

All Around the World
Géraldine Cosneau
Translated from French

Tate Publishing, (2011)

This unique activity book has it all.  Children can travel all the around the world – across oceans, through forests, jungles, desert and the Artic.  They will have fun creating their own landscape with the reusable stickers and eight large fold-out panoramas of the different environments, deciding where to put the animals, birds and fish on each of these landscapes. 

There are over four hundred reusable stickers at the back of the book that can be detached and placed on the giant panoramas or put up on the wall.  The stickers can be used time and time again to create entirely different pictures using the different fold out panoramas. There are also twenty four pictures of different animals to colour in that complement the adventure.

French illustrator Geraldine Cosneau's quirky cartoonish style really brings these scenes to life making this an ideal activity book that will enable a young child to discover a whole new world of adventure and fun while making it their own.

The Big Book for little hands
Marie-Pascale Cocagne

Illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Translated from French by Anna Shandro and Alice Thorp
Tate Publishing, (2008)

This is an ideal activity book to keep young hands and minds very busy.  Engaging illustrations are accompanied by simple instructions so that children can complete the pictures in their own way by colouring in, drawing, designing and tracing – 'Mr. Bear is cleaning the car.  Can you help him by using a blue crayon to make all the foam go away?' or 'this butterfly would love some party wings to impress its friends'. These activities allow them to create a book of their own.  There is plenty of variety in this large-format ring-bound book for all children who love making pictures.

The Big Book of Shapes     
Marie-Pascale Cocagne

Illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Translated from French by Alice Thorp

Tate Publishing, (2009)

The Big Book of Shapes is by the same team behind the hugely successful The Big Book for Little Hands.  It is another superb activity book full of creative ideas for using a variety of different shapes, in particular, squares, circles and triangles. The engaging illustrations are accompanied by simple, straightforward instructions so that children can complete the pictures in their own way.  

Children can have fun on the big wheel, take part in a motor race, give Little Croc some more teeth, or create their own picture at sea.  Each page has something different which will capture their imagination. Ideal for burgeoning artists who like drawing, cutting out, glueing and making lots of pictures. The large format and spiral binding make the book easy to use, and the heavy paper is suitable for pencils, felt-tips, crayons or paint.

The Book with a Hole
Hervé Tullet
Translated from French

Tate Publishing (2011)

Another of Hervé Tullet's completely wacky inventions, this large format book has a hole right through the middle!  The hole can be used in a variety of ways – a telescope to look at the stars or a magnifying glass to identify bugs.  It can also be used as a swimming pool or a tropical island.  Children can build their own skyscraper or find their way through the maze.  Perhaps they might even want to attach a trunk to an elephant!  There really is no limit to the games that can be played with this book.  It is crammed full of zany drawings which are endlessly inventive, providing children with lots of amusement along the way. The Book with a Hole will capture any child's imagination (and adults too!)

Miffy the Artist
Dick Bruna
Translated from Dutch

Tate Publishing, (2009)

Ever since Dick Bruna first created Miffy in 1955 she has become one of the best-loved children's characters of all time endearing her to generations of young children. In this charming story, Miffy visits an art gallery and is inspired to become an artist herself. Looking at the colours and shapes of everything around her she discovers what fun it can be to create pictures of the things she sees. By the time she goes to bed that evening her walls are full of wonderful pictures.

The strong primary colours together with Miffy's use of shapes as she draws squares and triangles will help with colour recognition, as well as giving children ideas for creating their own drawings.  They may also be tempted to create their own gallery too, just like Miffy.  This is a pefect book for budding artists.

Press Here
Hervé Tullet
Translated from French

Chronicle Books, (2010)

An international best-seller with over 12 editions in different languages, Press here is another ingenious feat of imagination from the prolific French author and illustrator Hervé Tullet.

Young children are encouraged to push the yellow button on the cover and embark on a journey of colour and imagination through the pages.  On each page the witty text gives the reader instructions to press the dots, shake the page, tilt the book or blow on the page.  Rubbing the yellow dot may make it change colour.  Shaking the page can move all of the dots around and blowing on the page could send all the dots flying!  Everywhere you look dots multiply, change direction and grow in size offering an escalating sequence of coloured dots in motion and combinations that will keep children guessing.

This wonderful and unique activity book encourages the power of imagination and will provide hours of amusement. The book is designed with thicker coated pages that will support frequently use and is ideal for parents to share with their children as there is plenty of interaction. 

Spot it Again!       
Delphine Chedru
Translated from French by Scott Auerbach

Abrams Books for Young Readers, (2011)

In this delightful 'seek-and-find' activity picture book by French author and illustrator Delphine Chedru, children can discover all the hidden creatures lurking behind the visual puzzles and lift-the-flaps. Some creatures are embedded in the design, and some can be found underneath lift-the-flaps. Look out for the wandering caterpillar or the snake that is searching for her baby.  Then there is the Koala who is green with fright and a sleepwalking sheep. 

On each colourful page the text gives the reader directions of what to look for in the picture.  Some are more complicated that others such as the four leaf clover in a page of green petals or the "chilly little spider" among the snowflakes.

The pages are brimming with colourful designed patterns throughout this large format book which is ideal to use with very young children.  There are creatures hiding on every page and hours will be spent trying to find them. Parents might enjoy this one too!

For a PDF of this list click below.