I was slightly reluctant at first to purchase this book – I thought it might not be one of our son’s favorites at bedtime (4 1/2 years old). (He’s your typical boy – loves books about cars, tractors, dump trucks, etc) Boy, was I wrong! The first night we sat down to read it, we both had a blast! This book does such a nice job of explaining art to children, in terms that he understands, that he was excited about reading it the next night. We went through the book the first time just flipping pages to look at the artwork, and stopping to read the details of the ones he found interesting at first. It was fun for me as a parent to learn what he finds interesting in art. I would recommend this book 100%!

I purchased this book for my kids who were 6 and 10 at the time. I was pleasantly surprised by the scope and variety of art covered in this book. Several well-chosen (nothing gory or disturbing to children) pieces of art are presented in nice, full color reproductions. The authors then point out various interesting things about the piece and ask fun questions about it. All of this serves to help children not just “look” at art, but to enjoy it and appreciate it.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone who wants to dabble in art appreciation – not just children. It is so easy to read and thumb through that neither kids nor adults will realize they are learning about art. For those over 16 or so who want to take the next step, “The Art Book” is a great follow-up that features many, many more works with more scholarly comments on each.