Life & Family | Books

Your mother thinks she can remember the color of her refrigerator, but she’s not really sure. Before you were born, she knew… but ever since you’ve been old enough to pick up a crayon, that fridge has been covered by your very best work.

You love to draw, paint, color, and sketch. Art is your favorite subject in school, and you’ve been told that you’re a creative person. But what do you really know about art? What do you know about other artists? Learn more in the new and very cool Children’s Book of Art.

Long ago, even before the Egyptians built pyramids, humans were painting and scratching artwork onto the walls of caves and on rocks. Archaeologists don’t know exactly whether the huge (some, over 17 feet long) artwork depicted a hunt or if it was meant to symbolize something else, but they think the paintings and scratchings were made nearly 15,000 years ago.

But art, as you know, isn’t just painting or scratchwork. Anyone can make art with pen or pencil, clay, camera, plastic recyclables, or little pieces of glass. Artwork can be sad, happy, or angry. It can be colorful or not. You can use your imagination or you can be realistic.

Best of all, did you know that art isn’t just for fancy galleries? Yep, if you’ve got a few comic books or manga laying around your bedroom, you own art!
Don’t know much about art, but know what you like? Me, too, and I like this book.

Children’s Book of Art is a broad overview of art in many forms, from ancient cave paintings through modern art and the most expensive piece of contemporary work you can buy (assuming you have $75 million lying around).

In between, your child will find hundreds of reproductions and pictures of artwork, including basic explanations for each style, how art is made (and how your kids can try it at home), examples of art and culture, and biographies of influential and notable artists and creators.

If you’ve got a budding artiste in the house, or if your children (or you!) are becoming interested in the Old Masters, pick up Children’s Book of Art. For anyone ages 8 and up, you can color this book fantastic.