The Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water

by Colleen Carroll

Examines how the four elements have been depicted in works of art from different time periods and places

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Teacher, writer, art lover, gardener, shelter dog mama, collector of vintage quilts, American colored pottery, and Bakelite bracelets, mother of three beautiful and kind daughters, wife of the smartest, most decent human being I know, and grateful author of the How Artists See series, a project that was born while standing in front of a Wassily Kandinsky painting of a rainy day, and for 25 years has bestowed on me unimaginable gifts. I hope you enjoy my books, and thank you for choosing them.

Reviews

[Jason]

[See my reviews of other books in this series for more commentary]
What I like about this in particular is that the subject matter is less strictly representational. I mean, there's *dirt* but *earth* is much broader as a concept. So kids have an opportunity to see dramatically different interpretations of the same elements and can make contrasts and comparisons accordingly. Any child who worked their way through this book (or any in the series, really) is almost guaranteed to have their horizons expanded and the way they define objects and concepts in the real world challenged by the unique perspectives that fine art offers. I can't speak highly enough about this series.

[A.]

I like how it librates children's mind and help them see how different artists expressed the four elements in their paintings.