Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Children's Book of Art
Nonfiction
For ages 9 to 12
DK , 2009 ISBN: 978-0756655112
If you ask a group of people “what is art?” you are probably going to get a wide variety of answers. Some people will say that a piece of art is a beautiful painting that you can see in a museum or gallery. Others will say that it is a piece of sculpture that you walk past in a park. Someone else will say that a child’s crayon drawing is art. All of these answers would be correct because art “can be so many things.” It is a form of expression that can be beautiful or ugly, representational or abstract, one dimensional or three dimensional. It can last for generations or be fleeting.
In this beautifully presented book, the editors at Dorling Kindersley tell the story of art from its earliest beginnings when men and women painted images on cave walls and desert rocks, to the present day where sculpture Damien Hurst creates sculptures that have provoked “debates about what is considered art.”
Young readers will not only learn about the principal art movements such as the Renaissance, Impressionism, and Surrealism, they will also read about some of the artists who created the works of art that are show in the world’s art galleries. The artists profiled include Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Vermeer, Joan Miro, and Andy Warhol.
In addition to these more traditional subjects, readers can also explore a wide variety of themes that are often seen in art. For example, still-life paintings, “Nighttime in art,” animals in art, and street art.
Would be artists will also be delighted to find that this book has sections that show them how a certain kind of art is made. For example, if you are interested in how sculptures are made, then you will enjoy the pages that show how “How to carve wood,” “How to sculpt marble,” and “How to create land art.”
What makes these articles so interesting is that in each one, readers are able to see numerous photos showing examples of art. In fact, every double page spread is like a mini gallery of art that is packed with information and fabulous full color photos.
Readers off all ages who enjoy art are going to love looking through this beautifully presented and information-packed title. There is something for everyone within its covers.
