The Art and Verse Picture Book Series
Born of a partnership between Susan Polk Van Dusen, a writer, and her late father, artist John S. Polk, the Art and Verse series captures collections from John’s work in the form of children’s picture books, creating an easily accessible and visually stimulating way to introduce the beauty of original art to young children.
Unlike traditional picture books that start with the writer’s storyline, Susan’s inspiration is initially drawn by the watercolors, oil paintings, and pencil drawings she inherited following her father’s death in 2020. After compiling collections of John’s similarly themed pieces, Susan adds a child-friendly verse alongside his works to form a complete story designed both to entertain and inspire an appreciation of original art in young children.
John was a long-time public school teacher, United Methodist pastor, and visual artist from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Although he always loved to draw, John didn’t truly develop his artistic potential until late in life when he started taking art classes and studying different techniques.
John’s subject matter ranged from portraits and landscapes to animals and architecture.
In the 2010s, the time John could devote to his art greatly increased due to a serious medical condition that limited his activities and eventually kept him restricted to his home. Thankfully, he found comfort and mental stimulation during that difficult time by completing hundreds of pieces of art, many inspired by photographs he took or found online.
A long-time professional writer, Susan decided to honor her dad’s memory and talent by incorporating his art into a children’s picture book series. The first book — “What’s so Special About a Tree?” — includes 14 paintings and drawings of both realistic and fanciful trees, along with a gentle rhyming verse tying them together.
The series also includes two additional books:
“Our Friend The Cowboy: A Wild West Hero,” winner of the 2026 Will Rogers Medallion Award
“Spring Song (Illustrated),” which introduces young children to a classic poem by beloved American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
With the belief that even the youngest child can appreciate the beauty of original art, Susan hopes that the Art and Verse picture book series will inspire art lovers and budding artists of all ages.
View the series on Bookshop.org and see more of John’s art at PolkFineArt.Pixels.com.
