Grandpa and the Library: How Charles White Learned to Paint

This charming children’s book follows the young Charles White as he goes to the library every day to look at picture books and watch the people around him. Later he draws what he has seen on scraps of paper. Over time he learns to be patient and observant, and, by watching art students painting in the park, he learns how to mix and use oil paints. As he grows up, Charles creates powerful portraits of the figures he sees and admires—of his family as well as of African American musicians, thinkers, scientists, and civil rights leaders. By telling his own stories and those of others, he becomes an artist. Written and illustrated by his son, C. Ian White, and featuring full-color reproductions of Charles White’s own artworks, this deeply personal story traces the childhood influences that inspired young Charles to become an artist and a teacher. 40pp with illustrations throughout.