I was just re-reading a wonderful book from 2004, To Be an Artist by Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko. This picture book will be a great conversation starter in 1st-4th grade classrooms.
The book includes photographs of young artists from all over the globe. The book includes dance, but really covers all art forms. Dancer Jacques d'Ambroise wrote a wonderful, one page foreward for the book.
"To be an artist means expressing yourself in many different ways….To be an artist means sharing your artistic flair for others to appreciate…"
The text is simple but lovely. How can you not get inspired by a children's book that uses the language of "to be an artist?"
I suggest reading it to a class and then discussing how each student expresses himself/herself artistically – in your classroom, arts classes, family and community activities, and more.
George Ancona's book Let's Dance! is a nice companion book to To Be an Artist. It also uses photographs and shares a global perspective on dance and the many ways dance is a part of our lives, cultures, and traditions. Let's Dance is great to share with students in kindergarten and 1st grades.
Dancing Words Blog 
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