The Children's Interactive Story of Art: The Essential Guide to the World's Most Famous Artists and Paintings

by Susie Hodge

Showcasing the world-famous collection of paintings housed in London’s National Gallery, this engaging introductory guide provides a first look at art, as well as an unprecedented interactive experience through a free app that allows kids to create their own virtual gallery at home. Although it touches upon a wide range of works, the heart of the book focuses on the movements and artists of the Western European tradition between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. Each spread is filled with glorious images of famous paintings and informative, bite-sized chunks of text that enhance understanding of each painting’s historical and cultural impact. “Did you know?” and “Art Lesson” feature boxes appear throughout to offer an extra level of information that includes art theory, fun facts, and projects.

Genres: Art, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Susan]

This is a really neat book. I left it sitting out and that turned into a whole week of our family poring over the pages during breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other "sit around the table" time and talking about history and art. Definitely recommended for older kids, though--there's a lot of small text and a lot of stuff younger kids wouldn't "get" or be terribly interested in.

[Charlotte S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so fun if you love art like I do! It has everything from Egyptian paintings to modern art! I love the short paragraphs for each painting and artist. This book makes the paintings interesting, and gives a lot of information without boring you!

This is a great homeschool book! We love it - it's wonderful for studying art history! The paintings are beautiful and the quality of the images is excellent!

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[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my 8-year-old daughter. She said that she enjoyed learning how art changed over the years. I wish there would have been more pictures of art featured in the book. Many artists’ works were discussed but only two or three images were featured alongside. I’m certain this was a space consideration, but we enjoyed reading about the artists and then looking at their works.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve been reading this as an introduction to some art across the world. While I found some of it fantastic, other spots were/are in need of an update regarding years, people, and timeframe presented. It is also through a ‘conventional’ lens, and takes into little to no consideration the art of Indigenous people.

[Vcmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of art movements and famous artists written in clear, straightforward language. Great for children and adults.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids loved learning about art with this book.

[Joanne Vickery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Talks about many art periods, and mentioned artists. It is designed to keep you entertained and teaching many things about art.

[Gözde · Rating 4 out of 5]

The National Gallery'nin app'i kesinlikle müthiş bir olay. Kesinlikle bayıldım ama yine bunun bir çocuk kitabı olduğuna inanmıyorum. Yani bu kadar yazılı, bu kadar detaylı ve kimine göre sıkıcı gelecek bir kitap çocuk kitabı olamaz. Bu kitap sanata bakış açımı değiştirdi mi bilmiyorum ama kesinlikle beni daha kültürlendiğini biliyorum. Hep belli sanat akımlarını öğreniriz gotik, barok, rokoko falan ama mesela maniyerizm'i ilk defa duydum. Üstelik hep belli sanatçıların isimlerini duyarız. Leonardo, Rembrant, Vermeer falan filan ama peki ya Van Dyck? Ya Tiziano? Bu kitap sadece bana daha fazla akım değil aynı zamanda daha fazla sanatçı ve eserlerini de gösterdi. O yüzden ayrıca bayıldım. Ressamların tekniklerinden bile bahsetmesi çok güzeldi. Tempera kullanımı veya yağlı boyanın yapılışı ve ilk kullanışı herkes tarafından bilinen bir şey değil bence. Lisansımda bir dönem sanat tarihi dersi almıştım. Bu 96 sayfalık kitapta o bir dönemlik derste öğrendiğimden çok daha fazlasını öğrendim. Eğitim sistemi kötü, ders berbattı falan diye demiyorum. Sadece eğer çocuklara erken yaşta gerçekten bu kitaplar okutulsa bir şeyler değişirdi bence.