We love coloring in our house. So we are always drawn to stories that bring art to life and encourage us to think about it a little differently. This list of children’s books about art supplies includes some of our favorites, and they always inspire us to create something new!

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Snap!*

Written by Hazel Hutchins and illustrated by Dusan Petricic

This creative story follows a young boy named Evan as he colors with his new set of crayons. When one of his crayons breaks, he tries everything to put it back together. But he soon realizes that a broken crayon might not be the end of the world. With a little creative thinking, that broken crayon opens up a world of opportunities for him. This is one of my daughter’s favorite stories, and it has inspired us to create lots of artwork by using crayons in different ways.

When Pencil Met Eraser*

Written by Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr. and illustrated by German Blanco

This clever book tells the story of how Pencil met Eraser. Pencil loves to draw, and he loves to work on his own. One day, he meets Eraser who just loves to erase things. As Pencil continues creating artwork, Eraser keeps taking parts of the art away, even as Pencil tries to fool him. In the end, they learn that they just may work better together. The artwork is mostly done in black and white, with the art supplies being the only things in color. This story can give kids tons of inspiration for creating artwork with only a pencil and an eraser.

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The Day the Crayons Quit

Written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

The first in the “Crayons” book series offers a glimpse into the crayon box of a young boy named Duncan. Each of his crayons has a simple request for him, so they each write him a letter. The letters range from asking him to color with them more, to asking him to decide who the true color of the sun is. Each of the crayons has it’s own distinct personality, as shown through their different tones of speaking to Duncan, their writing style, and the illustrations that they pair with the letter. Kids will love the hilarious crayons and their simple requests, and it may inspire them to look at their crayons a little differently.

The Crayon Box that Talked

Written by Shane DeRolf and illustrated by Michael Letzig

One day, while a little girl is walking through a toy store, she overhears a box of crayons talking to each other. None of the crayons get along with one another, so the little girl decides to take them home. As she uses each of them to create a picture, they realize that they can do so much more if they work together. The rhyming text teaches a great lesson on teamwork and the results that can be reached when working together, while the bright illustrations of smiling crayon characters will keep little ones engaged.

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Purple, Green and Yellow

Written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Hélène Desputeaux

Brigid is a young girl who loves to color. When she convinces her mother to buy her a new set of markers, her mother insists that she only use them on paper, and never on herself. Brigid agrees. After a while, she asks her mother for another new set of markers. And she continues to make beautiful pieces of artwork. Finally, she convinces her mother to buy her a set of permanent markers. But will she be able to resist using them on herself? This popular story is paired with brightly colored illustrations, and has a silly ending that will have kids laughing out loud.

What are your favorite children’s books about art supplies? Share in the comments below!

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