THE ART BOOK FOR CHILDREN, by Ferren Gipson, Amanda Renshaw, Gilda Williams, Phaidon Press, May 22, 2024, Hardcover, $29.95 (ages 7-12)
Children are asked to examine art and discover the way they feel about it as an individual in The Art Book for Children from Phaidon Press.
Two decades ago, Phaidon published the first volume in The Art Book for Children series (adapted especially for children from Phaidon’s iconic The Art Book), which quickly became beloved by children and parents the world over. To share its legacy with a new generation of readers, this combined, updated, and expanded edition pairs a selection of ‘best of’ artists from the original series with 30 brand-new contemporary entries.
This single volume features 60 artists through a wide range of large-scale, full-page reproductions of their artworks, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, video, prints, and installations from across time and space. Each page showcases defining artworks by the artists, combined with an interactive and informative conversation, giving relatable and memorable contexts for children, and inspiring a curiosity and appreciation for the Visual Arts that will continue into adulthood.
With a fresh new design, this book both features the ‘best of’ from the original two volumes, plus new entries, specially selected in collaboration with art historian and writer, Ferren Gipson. —Synopsis provided by Phaidon Press
The Art Book for Children is one of the books I’ve been most excited about heading into summer. I love art history, and my kid loves all forms of art. This is exactly the sort of book I she’s drawn to.
Each of the 60 artists featured get an entire page of accessible text that talk about the artist and why they created their art. In some cases, only one piece of art is shown, in others, there are more.
Usually, art books group artists or works in specific ways — by style, date, genre, etc. That doesn’t seem to be the case here, where polka dots from 1929 are next to the Mona Lisa (1452), which is followed by Rene Magritte’s surrealism (1898). This randomization works well, especially for children, keeping things fresh with every turn of the page. The last pages of the book prompt kids about what kind of artist they would want to be and what they will create.
The Art Book for Children is an excellent resource and just plain fun. I can imagine countless summer projects that will be inspired by it.
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