Need help exploring Alexander Calder’s life and art with your children? You’re in the right place! Today, I’m sharing a great list of children’s books about Alexander Calder to help you learn.
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This list of children’s books about Alexander Calder contains a good mix of fiction and nonfiction books. It also includes books that are perfect for young kids, middle schoolers, and everyone in between. Regardless of what you’re looking for, there are plenty of reading options to enjoy with your kids.
Alexander Calder Books for Kids
Before we get into the books, keep in mind that all of the links in the book descriptions below lead to Amazon. You’ll notice that some titles are also available on Bookshop.org. Consider purchasing through those links if you wish to support independent bookstores through your purchases.
1. Alexander Calder
Mike Venezia’s book about Alexander Calder from his Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series is a great starting point for learning about the sculptor and artist. It features a fun overview of Calder’s life and art. Also worth noting, it contains several full-color reproductions of Calder’s work, images of Calder, and engaging comic-style illustrations.
2. One and Other Numbers
Younger kiddos will appreciate being introduced to Calder through a board book format. One and Other Numbers keeps it simple but engaging by encouraging readers to count specific elements in the Calder pieces featured in the book.
*Note: This book is also available via Bookshop.*
3. Alexander Calder and His Magical Mobiles
Alexander Calder and His Magical Mobiles by Jean Lipman is a great nonfiction option for older elementary kids and middle schoolers learning about Calder. Around 90 pages, this one covers his life and career in detail and boasts tons of images of Calder’s paintings and sculptures.
4. The Life and Work of Alexander Calder
Another nonfiction children’s book about Calder, Adam Schaefer’s The Life and Work of Alexander Calder is a good alternative to the titles mentioned above. It’s ideal for younger to middle elementary grades and features a nice mix of text and images. It also includes a timeline of Calder’s life, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.
Worth noting, this one appears to be out of print. That means you’re most likely to find a used copy online or at your local library.
5. Sandy’s Circus
Sandy’s Circus is a delightful picture book that follows Calder’s journey from illustrating scenes from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus for a newspaper to creating a circus of his own through sculpture. Also worth noting, the author, Tanya Lee Stone, shares a fun story about finding Calder’s home while out on a Sunday drive in her author’s note.
*Note: This book is also available via Bookshop.*
6. Alexander Calder: Meet the Artist
Patricia Geis’s Alexander Calder title from the Meet the Artist series is another fun introduction to Calder and his work. While it’s relatively short, it contains lots of pop-ups, tabs, and lift-a-flap elements on each page. These make it easy to keep younger kiddos engaged while learning about Calder through the book.
7. The Calder Game
The Calder Game, part of Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer series, is a chapter book that works Alexander Calder’s art into the story. Readers can explore Calder’s life and work alongside three friends while working to solve the mystery of a missing Calder sculpture.
*Note: This book is also available via Bookshop.*
8. Roarr: Calder’s Circus
Maira Kalman’s Roarr is another fun picture book about Alexander Calder’s circus. While similar in theme to Sandy’s Circus, it relies on images from Calder’s work instead of illustrations. Since it shines the spotlight on Cirque Calder rather than Calder himself, it’s a great option for anyone deep-diving into a specific work.
Looking for more reading suggestions about the world’s greatest artists? See this list of children’s books about master artists.