Claude

2026 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL HOT OFF THE PRESS PICK

Take young artists on a journey of creative self-expression with this wordless picture book about art, Claude Monet, and Claude the dog.

“Energy and emotion leap off the page. . . . It's an outstanding example of the power of a wordless picture book.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Inspired by a beautiful Claude Monet painting, a little artist decides to create her own masterpiece, but her puppy has other ideas. From grabbing his favorite ball to rolling on the floor, he tries everything to get her attention, and chaos ensues, creating a big, colorful mess.

Or is it a mess after all? Perhaps Claude the dog and Claude Monet have a lot more in common than we think.

Told entirely in stunning illustration, Claude is a wordless picture book that introduces young artists to the works of Monet while inspiring creativity and promoting passion over perfection. And at the end, kids can read about the life of Monet and his role in art history.

With bold splashes of color across white pages, this inspirational story shows the creative process in full transparency, proving that there are no bad creations, just happy mistakes that are worth more than a thousand words.

Don't wait to be perfect to start.