Loved by young people across the globe, Paul Klee's playful paintings are a natural introduction for children to the world of creativity and art. It's no wonder that young people are drawn to the work of Paul Klee. The German artist was fascinated by children's drawings, and incorporated their energy and simplicity into his own work. This beautiful introduction to Klee's paintings focuses on the artist's love of color and symbols, his lighthearted technique, and his belief that music and painting were inextricably linked. Children will relate to the stories about Klee's life and struggles as an artist while learning about art. Eye-catching reproductions of Klee's masterpieces show children how the artist used lines, pigments, and texture in imaginative new ways. Best of all, enticing suggestions invite readers to try different art activities and projects.

A story inspired by artist Paul Klee's quote, "A line is a dot that went for a walk" WHAT PAUL MADE is a story about friendship, creativity and the innocence of a child's imagination. Readers will follow a young Paul on a visual journey turning a simple stroll into a adventure full of color, nature, curiosity and joy. Together with his dot, Paul returns home to discover his imagination created something wonderful. The story ends with an informative artist bio and a creative prompt bringing readers full circle into their own dot inspired creation! Famous for merging "inner" and "outer" worlds into his compositions, artist Paul Klee's artistic life began with a childhood filled of music, nature and poetry. As a young man, Klee decided that visual expression was the creative path that interested him the most. It was then that Paul began a lifelong adventure of creating and developing his own unique vision through artistic study, practice and experimentation. Throughout his career, Klee remained dedicated to color theory practice while he experimented with materials and Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Abstract Expressionist, Cubist and Futurist concepts. Paul Klee eventually became an instructor at the Bauhaus and Düsseldorf Academy and was a member of the artistic movement called the Die Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider).

A treasured painting by Paul Klee is the basis for this whimsical tale about a cat and a bird, and about the themes of freedom and friendship. A cat lives in a house filled with toys, but everyday she dreams of being free like the bird she watches through the window. Finally with the bird's help, she is able to escape and dance on the roofs of the city by moonlight. This lovely story unfolds in a series of playful, brilliantly colored illustrations based on the artist Paul Klee's work. Influenced by the artist's bright palette and use of shapes and line, the book culminates in a dazzling reproduction of Klee's Cat and Bird. Accompanied by information about the artist and this iconic painting, the book invites appreciation of the unfettered joyfulness that makes Klee one of the most universally loved artists of all time.

A brief biography of this twentieth-century German artist accompanies reproductions and analyses of several of his works.

Maryland Blue Crab Honor Book 2018 A big, brightly colored, playful introduction to various important painters and art movements. If someone asked you to paint a snowman, you would probably start with three white circles stacked one upon another. Then you would add black dots for eyes, an orange triangle for a nose, and a black dotted smile. But if Picasso painted a snowman… From that simple premise flows this delightful, whimsical, educational picture book that shows how the artist’s imagination can summon magic from a prosaic subject. Greg Newbold’s chameleon-like artistry shows us Roy Lichtenstein’s snow hero saving the day, Georgia O’Keefe’s snowman blooming in the desert, Claude Monet’s snowmen among haystacks, Grant Wood’s American Gothic snowman, Jackson Pollock’s snowman in ten thousand splats, Salvador Dali’s snowmen dripping like melty cheese, and snowmen as they might have been rendered by J. M. W. Turner, Gustav Klimt, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Georges Seurat, Pablita Velarde, Piet Mondrian, Sonia Delaunay, Jacob Lawrence, and Vincent van Gogh. Our guide for this tour is a lively hamster who—also chameleon-like—sports a Dali mustache on one spread, a Van Gogh ear bandage on the next. “What would your snowman look like?” the book asks, and then offers a page with a picture frame for a child to fill in. Backmatter thumbnail biographies of the artists complete this highly original tour of the creative imagination that will delight adults as well as children. Fountas & Pinnell Level O

Inspired by Klimt’s famous mural The Tree of Life, this dreamily illustrated children’s book tells the story of a magical tree whose fruit saves lives. Painted during the artist’s "golden period," Gustav Klimt’s The Tree of Life has been interpreted in myriad ways. This children’s book deftly incorporates the mysteries and depth of Klimt’s masterpiece into a story for young readers. A young man is given a seed that grows into a beautiful fruit-bearing tree. After tasting the fruit, he can see into the future, including events that will put the lives of others in danger. A king and his lovely princess daughter test the boy’s predictions, and love ensues. As children turn the pages of this exquisite book, they will be drawn into the intricately detailed and boldly colored illustrations, which echo Klimt’s own artistry. The book includes a gorgeous reproduction of The Tree of Life, along with information about Klimt and his work. Designed to encourage children to discover new details each time they open the pages, this is a charming book that will be read over and over again.