Children’s Book of Art

Children’s Book of Art – An introduction to the world’s most amazing paintings and sculptures
Published at DK Canada

About the book

This engaging guide takes children on an international tour of the world's greatest art, from the first daubs of paint in prehistoric caves to today's performance art. It includes all of the important art movements, from Renaissance to Rococo, as well as the great painters from all these eras. However, the approach is to look at art as an international exchange of ideas, not a straight history of western art. The book includes art from all countries, from aboriginal art to totem poles.

My Thoughts

A child of mine wanted to do a lapbook and selected the one that is all about art.  So to surprise him I decided to ask to review the Children’s Book of Art.  I figure that he could use the book while doing his lapbook.  

The book will give you an historical view of art through the ages and also present some of the main artists that blessed the world with marvelous paintings and sculptures.  The pages are packed with detailed information and images in order to give you a better understanding on how art has impacted our lives since the beginnings of the world.    In it, not only will you learn the main techniques used in art but you will also discover how papyrus paper was made, how a Roman fresco was created, discover the beauty of mosaic, and also get a close-up of the work of specific artists.

The table of content is easy to follow as you can see.

• Early Art: Rocky beginnings, Egyptian scribes, faces in art, how to make fresco, how to make mosaics, Gods and Heroes in art, Chinese art, how to create colors, Renaissance, landscapes in art, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan van Eyck, how to use oil paint, Baroque, Jan Vermeer, still life, Rococo, Frnacisco de Goya, how to use watercolor, and Katsushika Hokusai.
• Modern Art: Impressionism, Claude Monet, how to paint with pastels, Vincent van Gogh, after impressionism, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, surrealism, Joan Miro, Grant Wood, animals in art, postwar abstract art, Jackson Pollock, Sir Sidney Nolan, war in art, Andy Warhol, street art, work in art, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and Modern art.
• Sculpture: carved in stone, the Terra-cotta Army sculptors, how to carve wood, African sculpture, how to sculpt marble,Michelangelo Buonarroti, Frédérix-Auguste Bartholdi, Gustav Vigeland, Abstract sculpture, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, how to create land art, sculpture NOW, and Damien Hirst.

The book is a great way to learn more about art and get exposed to a variety of styles and era.  I particularly like to learn how to paint with pastels.   In some of the pages you might also find a “Now You Try It” challenge which will allow you to experiment a bit with the technique presented.  The book is also packed with example of various artists on a specific technique giving you a nice ideas on how it varies from one person to another.

In conclusion, I think this book is a great one if you are interested in exploring how art has evolved through the ages.   It could be a great book for a child or adult interested in art.  It is definitively a great book to have in your personal homeschool library.

Children’s Book of Art is available at your favourite bookstore.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.