The Noisy Paint Box

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kadinsky's Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock. Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on February 11, 2014.

This colorful children's book is about the famous Russian painter Vasya Kadinsky and the invention of abstract art. Throughout the book we see Vasya struggling between his desire to paint what he feels and hears (hence the noisy paint box) and what people like his parents or his teachers expect him to do. In the end, Vasya finally follows his instincts and paints what he wants to, and through doing this he invents the concept of abstract art.

This book has a great message for children about the importance of following your heart and not being afraid to do do something new, even if other people say you shouldn't. Vasya had wanted to paint his own way since he was a child, but he listened to his parents and other adults in his life and let them convince him that conformity was the best choice. But as the illustrations show, Vasy

a was only happy when he paint what he wanted to. This is portrayed in the way that the images of him following the rules are dull with drab colors, but the images of him painting what he wants are brighter and full of life.

For classroom use of the book, I would suggest reading this in any art class for younger children. It really sends the message that creativity is important and it would encourage them to use their imaginations when making their own art. It would also be a good chance to show children how the use of color can make art feel a certain way, much like Vasya talks about when he's describing his own paintings in the book.

As for suggested further reading I would look into other nonfiction books about artists. For example, there's the Anholt's Artists Books For Children series which covers a variety of artists in illustrated books that teach children about their life and work.

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat would also be a good choice. It's illustrated in a style similar to his work and shows how he grew up with a strong interest in art.