The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse

 

Carle, E. (2011). The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. New York: Philomel Books.

"The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse" is a children's picture book with bold imaginative colors. It has a purple fox, a pink rabbit, and of course a blue horse. It is great about allowing students to think OUTSIDE of their normal lines. Students can have abstract thinking and be able to connect it to things that they would like to draw different colors from people to pets to foods. Eric Carle is a very popular children's author and he is very good at what he does. He is listed on many well known list and is often used in art classes for small children because he has such a creative mind.

While it isn't "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" it is still a book that draws children to think for themselves but I wonder if it is too low of a level to be read in classes at schools. It is very basic but yet just challenges to kids to think outside the lines. Do I think it could be used in other classrooms? Absolutely. I think you could take it to an art class at an high school level and have them analyze why would the author choose the colors that he did. Have them analyze how it would be less challenging for smaller children if the animals were the colors they actually are, or have them identify when they felt like a horse out of color. The best thing about Eric Carle is he makes people think.