How the Snail Found Its Colors

Book excerpt: Shows how the artist Henri Matisse used bold colors to create strikingly beautiful art. The story follows a colorless snail on a quest to find its own colors. After discovering a number of Matisse's paintings, the snail magically takes on a range of colors from the artworks. Matisse really did create an artwork called, The Snail. He made it in his old age, when he could no longer hold a paintbrush for long. Instead of painting a snail, he made a picture of one by sticking pieces of brightly colored paper onto canvas. The book helps us understand how particular colors make us feel, and appreciate the simplicity and beauty of Matisse's amazing art. Contains biographical information about the artist at the end of story.