Full of iconic images such as the portrait of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s tinned soup, pop art is at once striking and instantly recognizable. The movement, which sprang up in the 1950s in the UK and USA, sought to include popular culture in art. Represented in visual media such as painting, sculpture, installation art and film, artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney have become household names. Visually appealing, the books below provide a perfect entry into this exuberant movement.
Art Is Everywhere: A Book About Andy Warhol
by Jeff Mack
Review: Published in November 2021, this eye-catching book by Jeff Mack, engagingly introduces Andy Warhol to young readers. Writing in the first person as Andy Warhol, Mack highlights how we can find inspiration to create art all around us. Stunningly illustrated with vibrant, bold colours, this is a book that readers will turn to over and again. Featuring his most iconic works, Art is Everywhere serves as a perfect inspiration to pick up a pencil or some paints and create.
Suggested Reading Age: 4 to 8 years old. I am sure that slightly older readers would enjoy flicking through this for the illustrations alone.
Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing
by Kay Haring (Autor), Robert Neubecker (Illustrator)
Review: Another luminary in the pop art movement, Keith Haring is compellingly introduced to readers in this enchanting biography. Written by his sister, Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing, provides an intimate insight into Keith, his life and his constant drawing on everything. Engagingly illustrated by Robert Neubecker, Haring’s works feature throughout the book. We follow Keith from elementary school through to his life in New York, drawing on pavements, walls and in the subway to his ultimate worldwide recognition. Believing that everyone should have access to art, Keith routinely created a mural wherever he exhibited. The author’s note at the end provides some additional insights into Keith. In keeping with his philanthropic nature, a percentage of the book’s sales will be donated to a youth organisation in his hometown. Highly recommended.
Suggested Reading Age: 5 to 8 years old. I believe that students up to 10 years old would also enjoy this book.
Pop Art In My Gallery
by Emilie Dufresne
Review: A great premise, the In My Gallery series of books by Emilie Dufresne introduces different art movements and a selection of their notable artists to readers. Throughout the book, learners are provided with a series of activities to carry out. These completed pieces become the artwork that fills the gallery space. In this edition, Chloe, a specialist in pop art, introduces the movement and the gallery she works in. Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Yayoi Kusama are all featured artists. Readers have the opportunity to try out collage, pop art portraits, comic strips and polka dot art inspired by their works. Bold and colourful, this book is highly engaging providing a balance between learning about and creating art.
Click here for a look inside.
Suggested Reading Age: 9 to 11 years old.
Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity!
by Sarah Suzuki (Author), Ellen Weinstein (Illustrator)
Review: A visual delight, readers will be itching to go dotty after having read this beautiful picture book. Yayoi Kusama: From Here To Infinity tells the story of Yayoi Kusama’s life. From her childhood in Japan to her move to the USA to her subsequent success as an artist and her return to Japan, artists of all ages will be enchanted by Kusama’s story and her lifelong desire to cover the world in polka dots. Quoted as saying: “Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos,” Kusama considers that: “Polka dots are a way to infinity.” Bold, beautiful, fun and enlightening, this book introduces readers to an artist who first came to prominence during the height of the pop art movement. A real treat.
Click here for a read-aloud of the biography.
Suggested Reading Age: In my opinion, this is best suited for the 8 to 10-year-old age bracket.
Pop Art (Inside Art Movements)
by Susie Brooks
Review: Pop Art (Inside Art Movements) provides a highly informative and accessible overview of the movement. Going into much more depth than the books previously featured, readers come away with a greater understanding of the movement, its artists and their works. Quotes from the artists provide a greater understanding of their motivation, inspiration and their artistic beliefs. The unpacking of individual artworks gives readers a better understanding of the story behind the work as well as a closer look at the artist’s techniques. “Look Closer” asides encourage readers to not only look more closely at the artwork but also prompt them to think about their own reactions to the work. An interesting and visually appealing read, this book is great for those looking to have a more in-depth introduction to pop art.
Suggested Reading Age: 9 to 14 years old. I believe that older students would also enjoy and learn something from this book.
Happy Reading!
Other Arts Related Posts You May Enjoy:
Art Techniques: For Artists Young And Old
Do YOU know of any great books about the pop art movement to add to this list? Please leave a recommendation below .