10 Read Alouds: Creativity
Here are 10 of the books featured in the Creativity Book Guide, along with a video read aloud and some thoughts on how they explore the character strength of creativity.
By Vera B. Williams
The story follows a little girl named Bidemmi who spends the day playing with her friends and re-imagining the world around them.
For example, when they come across a pile of cherry pits, they use them to imagine a "pit park," complete with slides and swings. When they see a tall, skinny tree, they imagine it as a "high wire tree" where they can practice their circus skills. And when they encounter a broken umbrella, they use it to imagine a "umbrella bird" that they can ride through the sky.
In addition to creativity, Cherries and Cherry Pits also celebrates the joy of play, the importance of friendship, and the gift of diversity, as Bidemmi and her friends come from different cultural backgrounds and speak different languages. The book is recommended to kids ages 4-8.
By Daniel Manus Pinkwater
This heartwarming and inspiring picture book encourages children to be creative, embrace their individuality, and find joy in self-expression.
The story takes place on a street where all of the houses look the same. One day, a seagull flies over Mr. Plumbean's house and drops a can of orange paint on his roof, creating a big orange splot. Rather than painting over the splot, Mr. Plumbean gets inspired and transforms his house into a unique and colorful expression of his personality.
As Plumbean transforms his house, his neighbors start to question his choices and criticize him. Plumbean remains steadfast in his commitment to creating a home that reflects who he is, and soon his neighbors begin to see the beauty in his creativity and start to express their own individuality as well.
I like that the book encourages kids to embrace their creativity and express themselves even when it means going against the grain. It also celebrates the power of community and the idea that when we support each other's creativity and self-expression, we all benefit.
Creativity is not only about making something original—it’s also about making something useful. This story explores the transformative power of art and seeds ideas about how we can use this strength to make a difference in our communities.
Based on the real-life story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, this story starts with a young girl named Mira, loves to create art and color her world with bright and vibrant colors. She decides to share her art with her neighborhood by painting a mural on a blank wall in her community.
As Mira paints, she attracts the attention of a muralist named Ana, who joins her and helps to turn the entire neighborhood into an outdoor art museum. As the community comes together to paint and create, the neighborhood is transformed into a more vibrant and connected place.
The story shows how we can use art to bring joy and positivity to our community and shows how we can make something beautiful and transformative when working together.
4. Wallpaper
Thao Lam explores creativity through the power of imagination and art.
The story follows a young girl who is bored with the plain wallpaper in her room. She begins to tear off pieces of the wallpaper and uses them to create a colorful and imaginative world that reflects her innermost dreams and desires.
Through the girl's creative process, "Wallpaper" celebrates the power of imagination and creativity to transform the world around us. The book encourages children to see the world as a canvas for their creativity and to use their imaginations to create their own stories and adventures. It also shows how art and creativity can be a form of self-expression and a way to explore one's own identity.
Click here to watch a read aloud on Vimeo with author Thao Lam.
5. Going Places
This book features two kids with different strengths and personalities working together to design go-karts for a school race. It features creative thinking, cooperation, engineering, faith in our friends, and open-mindedness.
In the story, Rafael and Maya receive a go-kart kit from their teacher with the challenge to build the fastest go-kart for a race. While the other students in their class follow the instructions, Rafael and Maya use their creativity to design and build a unique go-kart that can also fly.
Through their creative process, Rafael and Maya encounter obstacles and setbacks, but they persist in pursuing their vision and eventually succeed in creating a one-of-a-kind go-kart. It’s an uplifting book perfect for anyone who needs a little nudge to be bold or a boost of confidence.
This one encourages kids to see mistakes as opportunities for creating and exploring. It’s interactive, with lift-up flaps, pop-ups, and fold-out pages that show children how a mistake can be transformed into something new and beautiful.
The illustrations show everyday mistakes like spills, rips, and smudges, and turn them into something unexpected and delightful. The new perspectives encourage kids to look at the world around them with fresh eyes and to find ways to make mistakes part of the process of making art.
A great tool for parents, teachers, or librarians who want to encourage a love of learning and growth mindset along with creativity.
7. Sarabella’s Thinking Cap
Sarabella is a little girl with a vivid imagination who spends lots of time getting lost in her thoughts. She has a hard time balancing her signature strength of creativity with school and everyday life.
Throughout the book, her classmates and teachers struggle to understand her constant daydreaming and creative tendencies. However, with the help of her understanding and supportive parents, Sarabella becomes more aware of her strength and finds a way to channel her creativity in a productive way.
The book validates the importance of creativity and encourages kids to explore their own imaginations and express themselves. It also promotes the idea that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to be creative, and that everyone's individual way of thinking is valuable and should be celebrated.
This book celebrates the connective power of creativity and art. In the story, a little kid is dropped off at his grandfather’s house for a visit. Due to a language barrier, he struggles to communicate with him and becomes bored and frustrated. Then he notices that his grandfather is working on a beautiful piece of art using a traditional brush and ink and gets inspired.
The boy pulls out his own markers and starts drawing and working on a comic book-style story. As the two continue to work side-by-side, their drawings begin to merge together, creating a shared narrative that bridges the gap between their two cultures.
9. Emily’s Art
This is a heartfelt book that explores how we value and judge art.
Emily is a passionate and expressive young artist who creates work that reflects her feelings and personality.
When her class has an art contest, she is excited to share her new work with her classmates and a judge.
When the judge dismisses her work, Emily is devastated and begins to doubt her own abilities. As the story progresses, she is able to help cheer a friend up with her drawings and reconsider the value of her art.
This is a particularly good one to get kids thinking about rewards and extrinsic validation versus finding satisfaction and self-worth from within oneself.
10. Drum Dream Girl
This picture book celebrates the power of creativity and the importance of following our dreams. The book tells the true story of a young girl in Cuba who dreams of becoming a drummer despite the fact that it’s considered a male-only profession.
The little girl in the book hears drumming everywhere—in the city sounds, rhythms of nature, the songs of birds. She longs to play the drums, but is told by her father and others that it’s not appropriate for a girl. Still, she feels called to her dream and practices whenever she can, expressing her love of music through dance and other forms of artistic expression.
Ultimately, her persistence and determination pay off when she is given the opportunity to play the drums in a public performance, inspiring other young girls to follow their dreams and pursue their passions.
Challenging gender roles and cultural and societal expectations, this one encourages kids to follow their dreams and interests, and is an inspiring read for creative kids who may want something different.
11. Bedtime for Bo
Full of beautiful art, this is a fun, inspiring book that encourages children to tap into their creativity and use their imagination to liven up daily life.
The story is about a little kid named Bo who loves to tell stories and has trouble getting to bed night. To help him transition to bedtime, Bo’s gentle and creative mom encourages his imagination to create a story that he can "jump into" and explore in his dreams.
The book also provides a model of how we can bring our strengths to transitions or difficult moments and how, as parents, caregivers or teachers, we can help kids channel their strengths.
I don’t have a video for this one but do have a lovely video of the author and illustrator walking you through the book. Enjoy!
Explore more books related to the character strength of creativity here.
Creativity is categorized as a wisdom strength, along with curiosity, judgment, love of learning and perspective. These are cognitive strengths that are distinct from intelligence yet relate to high levels of knowledge and ability, ask larger questions about life and are used for the greater good.
A note that some of my posts contain affiliate links. When you buy through these links, this site may earn a commission.
