It’s time for the annual nonfiction picture book blogging event, Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Reflect & Refine, Embrace & Enjoy Learning, and Write at the Edge.

Last year, I shared 10 picture books about African-American history that don’t focus on slavery or Civil Rights.

This year, I’ve curated a list of 10 nonfiction picture books that I plan to share in a new 400-level college course I’ve developed on Creativity. I’ve always shared picture books in my Children’s Literature and Adolescent Literature courses, and I occasionally use them as mentor texts and writing prompts in Freshman Composition. But I had never considered incorporating picture books in my other courses until last semester in Digital Literacy class, when my students and I participated in Global Read-Aloud (#gra14) and read 6 picture books by Peter Reynolds. Students enjoyed our “read-aloud time” so much, and the picture books gave us some surprising new ways of thinking about our work in the class. I began to look for other ways to use picture books with college students. I’m guessing the seniors who take the Creativity Capstone course next year may be a little skeptical when I pull out the first picture book, but I anticipate full conversion by the end of the semester.

What are some of your favorite nonfiction titles about creativity, art, and invention?