The Art of It: Graphic Novels for Kids Featuring Art and Artists!

by John Patrick Green
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6 books
Comics always combine text and art – but these books go a step further. They’re about art, too! Check out this great list of books featuring artists, art club, and art adventures!
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InvestiGators: Heist and Seek

John Patrick Green, 2022
Like many people making illustrated books today, I went to art school – I attended New York’s School of Visual Arts. This book in the InvestiGators series is a homage to the history of art that I learned there and in high school. As Mango and Brash investigate missing paintings, I had so much fun dropping bits of art history into their case, and paying tribute to artists whose work I appreciate, from Leonardo da Vinci to Banksy.

Awkward

SVETLANA CHMAKOVA, 2015
This book is all about art club – the place where its protagonist, Peppi, feels most at home at school. Unfortunately, she’s also had an awkward experience literally running into one of the members of the science club – art club’s long-time rival! This book is all about getting along with people who like different things, and it’s a wonderful, thoughtful book with amazing art by Svetlana Chmakova.

Timid

A Graphic Novel
Jonathan Todd (Graphic novelist), 2024
Timid is Jonathan Todd’s autobiographical graphic novel, telling the story of his family’s move and the work he does to fit in at his new middle school: by making art! This book tells a wonderful story of art as an opening for friendships, some successful and some unfortunately not as much. And it also depicts the importance of comics stores, and of reading and making comics for anyone who is an aspiring cartoonist.

Doodleville

(A Graphic Novel)
Chad Sell, 2020
In this graphic novel, Chad Sell creates a story that’s both about making art and appreciating art! His protagonist, Drew is in art club, and she starts having trouble after her doodles come to life and start creating havoc for the other art students as her doodles annoy or fight their artwork. And that’s not even mentioning what happens when the club goes to a museum. . . . This is a really fun book about friendship, and about dealing with emotions, especially anger.

Stepping Stones

(A Graphic Novel)
Lucy Knisley, 2020
This graphic novel is mostly a story about moving, divorced parents, and making a new family. But it’s also about art: its protagonist, Jen, is an avid doodler and journalist, and is constantly writing and drawing in her notebook. Since this is a graphic novel, we get to see all her very cool artwork – the title page of the book is even a page from her notebook!

Adventures in Cartooning: Create a World

James Sturm, Alexis Frederick-Frost, Andrew Arnold, 2023
This is a very neat book that’s simultaneously about art and about making art! In Adventures in Cartooning, a knight goes on a quest – and as she deals with travel, fighting dragons and monsters, and helping others, she learns about the comics techniques that help tell her story (for example, she uses a thought balloon to have inspiration on the best way for her quest to proceed). It’s a creative and very clever adventure.