Art, literature, and education come together naturally in this list of new titles, inspiring teachers and students alike! The collection begins with a study of the historical relationship between art and education, and then follows this relationship through to its present-day expression in classroom activities and picture books that link art, texts, and learning. These titles reinforce the importance of the arts in all aspects of education, and encourage creative learning!

While it might seem niche at first glance, John Ruskin and Nineteenth-Century Education, by Valerie Purton, is an engaging collection of essays that details the lasting influence of the nineteenth century’s foremost art critic on contemporary education. The book is divided into three sections, featuring ten essays by Ruskin scholars from around the world that explore Ruskin’s writings as an artist, a critic, an educator, and a poet, and consider them in relation to his influence on education, libraries and the arts, and theology. As Purton writes in the introduction, Ruskin was at the core of the expansion of artistic and technological education in Victorian Britain, and he inspired creative minds like William Morris, Leo Tolstoy, Marcel Proust, and Mahatma Gandhi. While necessarily Anglocentric, this book is a fascinating deep-dive into an important figure in art history and education, and it provides a great basis of knowledge for art and history educators who are interested in the impact that Ruskin’s ideas still have on their subjects and in their classrooms today.

This bringing together of multiple disciplines is continued in The Art of Comprehension: Exploring Visual Texts to Foster Comprehension, Conversation, and Confidence, by Trevor Andrew Bryan. As Bryan writes in the book’s epigraph, “If great books are works of art, then reading is a form of art appreciation and writing is a form of art creation.” In other words, art and literature go hand in hand. True to form, this book is filled with words and images, including illustrative cartoons and reproductions of artistic masterpieces that explore various methods of developing students’ comprehension of texts, images, and the deeper meanings that exist in the relationships between them. The Art of Comprehension highlights this relationship by focusing on specific points of interdisciplinary comprehension, including the understanding of key details, themes, symbols, and moods in a creative work, and, from them, making inferences and connections. This book breaks down a number of “access lenses” that educators can use to help students comprehend artistic and written works, and provides suggestions as to how they can be used to help students engage with creative materials.

Using Art to Teach Writing Traits: Lesson Plans for Teachers, by Jennifer Klein and Elizabeth Stuart Whitehead, strengthens this connection between artistic and literary creation, this time, however, by encouraging students to do and not only interpret the creative work. This book breaks down seven different writing traits and relevant art lesson plans that are accessible for all elementary teachers — not only art subject specialists. Each chapter focuses on a different writing trait (including the formation of ideas, organization of content, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, use of editorial conventions, and preparation for presenting and publishing) and begins with an explanation of the trait before detailing lesson plans and activities that use art to foster its development. This is Klein’s and Whitehead’s second book about the relationship between art and literacy, and their expertise translates into practical and easy-to-implement classroom activities with included worksheets and lists of helpful resources.

This shift towards creation in the classroom, not just comprehension, is amplified in Open-Ended Art for Young Children, by Tracy Galuski and Mary Ellen Bardsley, which explores art at its most creative in classrooms with young learners. The focus here is on art that allows for uninhibited imaginative expression using a wide variety of materials — without any preconceptions of what the art should look like. As Galuski and Bardsley explain in their introduction, it is not the final outcome of art that should matter, but rather the expressive process. This book supports the creation of an open-ended art centre in the classroom, providing suggestions for its materials and organization, the development of relevant lesson plans, and ideas about how educators can spark students’ inspiration.

The Cloud Artist / Hoshonti Holbvttoba Inchunli, by Sherri Maret, illustrated by Merisha Sequoia Clark, is a dual-language book written in both English and Choctaw about the nature and purpose of art and creativity. It features a little girl named Leona, who has the ability to paint the clouds into any shapes she likes. The story about her artwork in the sky is accompanied by bright illustrations, and the relationships that exist between the text of the book, its pictures, and its creative narrative theme will inspire young readers in a number of artistic activities. For instance, The Cloud Artist / Hoshonti Holbvttoba Inchunli can be used as a launching point for young children to draw their own cloudscapes in an art class, or, for older grades, it can inspire the writing and design of students’ own picture books, once again bringing art, literature, and education together.

All of these titles and more sources of inspiration can be found on the New Titles shelf near the service desk on the ground floor of the OISE Library.

One Room: Schools and Schoolteachers in the Pioneer West by Gail L. Jenner 

Schools and classrooms looked very different from what they are now. Over a hundred years ago many children attended sparsely furnished, one room schools. Gail Jenner reminds us of this history and how education was drastically different for early settlers in America. While this book offers an American perspective, it also reflects on the early settler education found in Canada. Jenner provides a celebration and investigation of early education through archival images and engaging stories. It is an easy, enjoyable, and insightful book for teachers looking to learn more about the legacy of pioneer schools in the West. 

Global Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality in Education: Raising Awareness, Fostering Equity, Advancing Justice edited by Elinor L. Brown and Guichun Zong 

Global Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality in Education explores the political and cultural consequences of gender and sexuality bias that many face. This volume complies articles from many different scholars from many different countries. The book is split into three sections, and each focuses on an aspect of gender equity in the context of education, drawing from countries such as Australia, China, Gambia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Turkey, and more. Each chapter documents the progress and challenges that those striving for equity and justice face in regards to gender and sexuality in education. This book offers readers a thoughtful and well-rounded perspective of the trials and tribulations faced by those around the globe as they work towards making education more holistic and representative.  

What Does it Mean to be Present? by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler 

What does it mean to be present? Is it just about going somewhere, being someplace and doing something? Or is it something more? Like enjoying the moment and focusing on the now instead of on what’s going to come next. It’s about taking risks, and opportunities and learning from our mistakes. Being present is about being in the moment. This playful but impactful little book reminds students and adults to take the time to live in the moment, to slow down and be present in what’s happening around them. The end of the book even offers readers three easy steps to remind themselves to be present and aware. This book is delightful for teachers wishing to remind their students to slow down and enjoy the now.  

Write Dance: Music Themes Numbers, Letter & Words by Ragnhild A. Oussoren 

Write Dance is a resource that can be used by teachers and parents alike. It is a useful resource for those looking to motivate children to develop their handwriting. The materials and activities that are offered in this book can be used to fit any situation and used in according to its suitability to the circumstances. Writing is a form of movement but many children experience difficulty with writing and can even come to a standstill. Write Dance is about hearing, feeling, and seeing your own rhythm and swing, where everything moves naturally and without hesitation. By appealing to the emotions of a child, numbers and letters can be brought to life in stimulating and enjoyable ways.  

Magic Capes, Amazing Powers: Transforming Superhero Play in the Classroom by Eric Hoffman

Who doesn’t want to be a superhero? Superhero play is a common part of childhood. While this is fun for children, superhero play proves to be difficult for adults to monitor, as children can learn behaviours that can be detrimental going forward. When engaging in superhero play differences can be threatening, conflicts must be “won,” dominance and aggression are appropriate ways to maintain and win power, and weapons and toys are magic keys to power, victory, and happiness. Hoffman maintains that superhero play is an important part of childhood, and that there are ways in which teachers can adults can utilize this form of play in order to introduce positive values, while also respecting the needs and concerns of the children involved. This book is a great resource for teachers who want their children to play and learn but to also be safe and respectful.