Picture Books for the Reggio Emilia Inspired Child (Part 1)

Over the years I have collated quite the collection of books that are perfect for the Reggio Emilia inspired child, atelier, or classroom. The books below are Part 1 of a list of the gorgeous books that will support your little learners in their Reggio Emilia journey. Please note that some of these links are affiliate links, which may generate a small amount of cashback for Discovery Time if you purchase from the link. You will not be charged for clicking on the links. This is the picture book list and I've tried to include general age ranges for most of them, but I genuinely believe older children and adults can get a lot out of these picture books.

The Art in Country by Bronwyn Bancroft: a Children's Treasury written by a strong indigenous woman is a celebration of the art and inspiration found in Country. A must for every Australian child's shelf and Atelier.

Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg is a gorgeous story about how anything can become art if you change your perspective. A tear, a splash, a rip or a hole. This is a lift the flap / pop up / interactive book that suits children aged 1 to 5.

Colour Me by Ezekiel Kwaymullina uses screen printing techniques for the illustrations in this book about colour. It is written by an Indigenous Australian and brings together all our lovely differences at the end of the story in a beautiful rainbow.

The Crayon Man: The Story of the Man Who Invented the Crayon is a celebration of the creator of Crayola, Edwin Binney. An inspiring story of an inventor who loved nature so much that he wanted to bring the colours he saw outside to children all over the world. It's a great information source with the names of the minerals used to create the colours throughout. There's even a peek behind the scenes of the Crayola factory at the end of the book.

The Creatrilogy Series by Peter H Reynolds is aimed at children aged 3-7.

The Dot is a beautiful story about how a respectful teacher who sees the potential in any child's art - even when they say they can't draw - can inspire a child to become an artist and to become an advocate for other children. This series features diverse characters like Vashti who learn and grow through playing with art.

Ish follows in a similar vein but is more about appreciating the beauty in other people's art. It is about 3 children and the impact their words have on one another. Ramon realises that making art makes him feel good - no matter what other people say about his work.

Sky Colour is best for school-based children but is a valuable discussion for any child around the way we view things. I usually change the word "school" to "art studio" when reading to my home schooled son so that it is more relevant to his world. It contains lots of colour mixing and inspiration for the little artists in our lives.

Hands: Growing up to be an Artist by Lois Ehlert is a beautiful book for any small artist. It is about all the ways to be an artist! A gorgeous picture book for 3-7 year olds.

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Lio Lionni is a great book for children aged 1 to 7. It is a fun, abstract book about colour mixing, family, and friendship. Using collage and really quite abstract illustrations, children love looking at this with their fresh perspective on life. Lio Lionni wrote fables prolifically for many years and has inspired generations of children. I love a lot of his books. Many adults ask me what on earth is going on with some of his stories, but children are generally very astute and understand what he is telling them. They are slow and gentle and have great messages throughout.

Mix It Up by Herve Tullet is a wonderful, interactive book about what happens when you mix two primary colours together. 2-5 year olds will love the way you have to squish, shake and tap the book to mix the colours together.

My Body (English / Karrikin) by Maureen Yanawana is a gorgeous, very Reggio style book in both English and Indigenous Australian language Karrikin. Children from remote Country collaborated with the Author to create beautiful black line drawings and collages.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis invites children to use their imagination to transform a simple object into something more, something magical, something new. The perfect book for children who love playing with boxes (don't they all?)

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires uses detailed illustrations to explain the main character's feelings, frustrations and ideas. The child, who is unnamed, wants to build the most magnificent thing! She has a great idea and she builds things all the time. But this time, it doesn't work the way she had planned and she gets really mad about it. Eventually, her dog helps her take a walk and come back to finish her project. A really beautiful STEAM book.

Press Here by Herve Tullet is a wonderful book for imagination and magical thinking. Children need to press, tap, shake, stand the book on its end, clap and more as they turn each page to see what has happened to the little yellow dot. Aimed at 3-5 year olds, children as young as 1 will delight in this delightful book.

Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty is an important work in the STEAM space for books that encourage female children to choose to work in this area. It is a funny and interesting story for 4-8 year olds who will delight in the zany inventions Rosie comes up with. There are a few in this series: Ada Twist, Scientist and Iggy Peck, Architect are worth a read if your little one is into Rosie Revere.

Slow Down by Rachel Williams has 50 different, gentle, slow paced stories on every double spread. It is easy to understand for the littlest listeners but uses correct terminology and information about the world. The illustrations are beautiful, and each story is just the right length for a bedtime story.

They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel is an interesting exploration of how different animals like the dog, the fox and the bee see the world. It is a beautiful book about perspective and helps children to gain empathy for different creatures. Best for ages 2-8 but a great book for use alongside lots of art techniques and ideas.

Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne is a melancholy story of perspective for 5-9 year olds. Four characters (anthropomorphised animals) go to the same park, but have vividly different experiences. This is a great book for when your child is exploring the Orientation Schema, and for older children who are gaining knowledge on empathy and perspective.

What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobi Yamada is "a story for anyone who has ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult". An encouraging story about how to let your ideas take root, to grow, and to become something truly wonderful.