“Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry” by Fausto Gilberti

Written By Lia Shioleno

This book tells the story of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist famous for her love of covering things in dots. It shows a lot of valuable lessons that children could take away from her life, like how she recovered from/dealt with illness and being homesick. She had a very interesting and full life and created many wonderful things, represented by Gilberti’s delightfully silly, bug-eyed illustrations (I especially love the mirror room and the dress that can be worn by up to 25 people).

I think teaching this book is a great way to promote imagination and thinking outside the box. Kusama always made art that nobody else was making, and this could prompt some fun activities. Encouraging students to see shapes and colors when they close their eyes covering belongings in dots, designing intricate clothing, or an exercise in making patterns out of several shapes.

Lia Shioleno
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“Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa” by Andrea Davis Pinkney