The Art Lesson & Jockey on a Horse and Dancer

Featured Book: The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaolo
Featured Artwork: Jockey on a Horse by Edgar Degas and Dancer (Battement in Second Position) by Edgar Degas

The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaolo is about a little boy who loves to draw. He uses crayons to draw the world around him, and he inspires a teacher to give him artistic freedom in the classroom.

Artist Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917) also loved to draw. He drew what he saw and was especially inspired by horses and ballet dancers. In both Jockey on a Horse and Dancer (Battement in Second Position), Degas used charcoal to capture his moving subjects.

Do you love to draw? Take a moment to look around you. What catches your eye? Then, draw something that interests you. 

If you don’t have access to the featured book, select something similar from your child’s book shelf or your local library. Many of the books are also available as read-aloud videos online.