Picture Books That Inspire Drawing
Drawing is one of those wonderfully simple activities that offers children so much more than a finished picture.
Every time your child picks up a crayon, pencil, or marker, they’re strengthening the small muscles they’ll eventually use for writing. They’re experimenting with lines, shapes, colors, and ideas. They’re learning that they can take something they imagine and put it onto paper.
And perhaps most importantly, they’re discovering that creating something doesn’t have to mean creating it perfectly.
Picture books can be a wonderful way to encourage that creativity. Some introduce children to characters who love to draw. Others show what can happen when you start with a simple dot, line, or squiggle. And some remind children that there really isn’t a “wrong” way to make art.
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Here are some picture books that just might have your child reaching for the crayons before you’ve even finished reading.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Vashti is convinced that she can’t draw. Her teacher simply encourages her to make a mark and see where it takes her. That one little dot becomes the beginning of something much bigger. The Dot is a wonderful choice for children who hesitate to draw because they’re worried their pictures won’t be “good enough.” https://link.amazon/B0aK7IBvE
Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Ramon loves to draw—until someone laughs at one of his pictures. With a little help from his sister, he discovers that his drawings don’t have to look exactly right. They can look “ish.” A house can be house-ish. A flower can be flower-ish. It’s a lovely reminder that creativity doesn’t require perfection. https://link.amazon/B014Roe23
Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
When Marisol is asked to help paint a mural, she plans to paint the sky—but there’s no blue paint. Instead of giving up, she begins looking more closely at the sky around her and discovers that skies aren’t always simply blue. This story encourages children to observe the world and experiment with color rather than worrying about what something is “supposed” to look like. https://link.amazon/B0gWm06Kt
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Armed with just one purple crayon, Harold draws his way through an entire adventure. When he needs a path, he draws one. When he needs a boat, he draws that too. This classic story is a wonderful springboard for asking your child, “If you had one crayon and could draw anything you wanted, where would you go?” https://link.amazon/B0iPtPE41
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
A torn piece of paper, a spill, a smudge, or an unexpected mark doesn’t have to ruin a picture. It can become the beginning of something completely new. Beautiful Oops! helps children see mistakes differently and is especially helpful for little artists who become frustrated when their creations don’t turn out exactly as planned. https://link.amazon/B0ecDACr6
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
What begins as an accidental mark gradually becomes part of an imaginative work of art. As one mistake leads to another, each unexpected addition becomes part of the finished picture. It’s a beautiful way to show children that sometimes the most interesting ideas come from things we didn’t plan. https://link.amazon/B0093wQkJ
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
A blue horse? A red crocodile? A purple fox? Why not? Eric Carle’s colorful animals give young children permission to forget about making their pictures realistic and simply enjoy creating. https://link.amazon/B01ahuwpK
The Line by Paula Bossio
This wordless picture book begins with a girl finding a simple line. As she follows it, the line transforms into one imaginative creation after another. It’s an easy idea to recreate at home: draw a random line or squiggle on a piece of paper and ask your child, “What could this become?” https://link.amazon/B0cOrOdhx
A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen
A young boy wants to write a story like his big sister, but there’s one problem—he doesn’t know how to write many words yet. He soon discovers that lines, squiggles, pictures, and the letters he does know can all help him tell a story. It’s a wonderful reminder that children can begin thinking like writers long before conventional writing comes easily. https://link.amazon/B0ejBJb3i
Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light
Louise loves making art and is determined to create her masterpiece. Her enthusiasm for drawing and creating makes this a fun choice for budding artists, while the story also explores what happens when things don’t go quite according to plan.https://link.amazon/B079iXFOe
Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat
A boy and his grandfather struggle to communicate because they don’t speak the same language. When they begin drawing together, however, they discover another way to connect. Their pictures allow them to share ideas, tell stories, and understand one another. It’s a beautiful example of how drawing can communicate. https://link.amazon/B0cCgC1Lm
What If… by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Mike Curato
What happens if you want to create but don’t have paper? Or pencils? Or the materials you usually use? You find another way. This imaginative book follows a determined young creator who continues finding new ways to express her ideas no matter what happens. https://link.amazon/B08VxMmSR
Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson
Art doesn’t have to begin with a box of brand-new supplies. Inspiration—and even art materials—can be found all around us. This book encourages children to look closely at the natural world and see creative possibilities in everyday things. Pair it with a walk outside and then come home and draw something you noticed along the way. https://link.amazon/B0iQPuafx
Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn
Andrew Henry loves inventing and building unusual creations. Although this classic isn’t specifically about drawing, the wonderfully imaginative inventions throughout the story can inspire children to dream up their own creations. After reading, encourage your child to draw a house, machine, vehicle, or invention they’d like to build. https://link.amazon/B03Znq8g9
Make Your Mark Gallery: A Coloring Book-ish by Peter H. Reynolds
This one is a little different from the others because it’s part book and part creative activity. Instead of asking children simply to color finished pictures, Peter H. Reynolds gives them opportunities to add their own marks and creations. It’s a fun choice for children who need a little inspiration to get started. https://link.amazon/B04W7jmJC
Give Them Paper and See What Happens
When young children draw, the goal isn’t to produce a perfectly recognizable picture.
A few circles with lines sticking out might be a family. A page covered in green scribbles might be a dinosaur stomping through the jungle. Three dots and a giant swirl might have an elaborate story behind them that only your child understands.
That’s okay.
Those early drawings are helping your child develop hand strength, pencil control, visual thinking, creativity, confidence, and the ability to communicate ideas—all skills that will serve them well when they begin kindergarten.
So read a book, put out some paper and crayons, and resist the temptation to show your child the “right” way to draw something.
Instead, try asking, “Tell me about your picture.”
You might be surprised by just how much is happening on that page.
I have not read most of these books, so you may want to pre-read before sharing them with your child.
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