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Review_CHILDREN’S
Meet the Artist: David Hockney
Rose Blake. Tate (Abrams, dist.), $12.95 trade paper (32p) ISBN 978-
1-84976-446-9
This first book in the Meet the Artist series offers a light
introduction to British multimedia artist David Hockney.
Blake asks readers to consider aspects of Hockney’s work before
applying their observations to their own artwork. “Fascinated
by water, Hockney played with different ways of drawing and
painting it,” reads one page, fol-
lowed by an invitation to draw
waves, rain, and other types of water
in provided boxes. Another activity
suggests readers create photo col-
lages in the vein of Hockney’s
Pearblossom Hwy. Children will gain
some sense of Hockney’s style, and
Blake’s irreverent illustrations tap into the energy and palette
of several of the reproduced images. Published in conjunction
with a traveling retrospective organized by the Tate Britain,
this breezy primer may prompt readers to seek out more of
Hockney’s work, online or in person. All ages. (Sept.)
Masterpiece Mix
Roxie Munro. Holiday House, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-3699-6
“Today I will make a new painting,” declares an artist with
cropped hair and glasses (she bears a strong resemblance to
Munro herself), before noting the supplies she uses and the
inspiration she gathers from the artwork around her. The artist’s pleasantly cluttered studio features reproductions of
dozens of works of art from Cassatt, Gauguin, Vermeer, and
other artists (the images were digitized by the National
Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.). Munro touches on possible subjects—still lifes, portraits, landscapes—and a closing
cityscape lets eagle-eyed readers spot the 37 featured paintings, drawings, and sculptures on buildings, vehicles, and
elsewhere; the works of art are discussed in greater detail in
end notes. Rather than focus on a finished masterpiece, Munro
makes it clear that the process of making art begins long
before the first brush stroke. Ages 4–7. (Aug.)
Fine Art Adventures: 36 Creative, Hands-On
Projects Inspired by Classic Masterpieces
Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw. Chicago Review (IPG, dist.), $19.99
trade paper (144p) ISBN 978-0-912777-04-7
This companion to Modern Art Adventures and
Three-Dimensional Art Adventures presents 36 projects inspired by
classic works of art. The book’s eight sections introduce
themes relating to art fundamentals (color, shape), subjects
(animals, myths), and types of work (landscapes, portraiture).
Projects include using glue to create a three-dimensional ver-
sion of an Albrecht Dürer portrait (“This project concentrates
on the line of a portrait rather than its color”), creating a snow
globe inspired by a circular winter landscape from Barent
Avercamp, and decorating a “story box” based on Paolo
Uccello’s St. George and the Dragon. The projects are well-
targeted to the target audience, and their transformative
nature—using paintings as inspiration to create masks,
paperweights, sculptures, and more—smartly emphasizes
how inspiration can take an artist down surprising paths.
Ages 6–up. (Sept.)
Old Masters Rock: How to Look at Art with Children
Maria-Christina Sayn-Wittgenstein Nottebohm. Pimpernel (IPG/
Trafalgar Sq., dist.), $22.95 (112p) ISBN 978-1-910258-04-0
Nottebohm highlights 50 paintings in a book designed for
children and parents to explore together; a dozen chapters
explore such artistic themes as royalty, families, and religion.
Large reproductions of the paintings appear opposite
Nottebohm’s commentary about their creators and creation,
and dozens of questions, set off in italics, urge readers to
closely examine and consider each work. For Jean-Étienne
Liotard’s Woman in Turkish Dress, Seated on a Sofa, she ponders
the contents of a torn letter on the carpet: “Who do you think
wrote the letter? Do you think it was the same person she had
dressed herself up for?” A fine introduction to Brueghel,
Delacroix, Rembrandt, and other painters that actively
encourages readers to develop visual literacy through observation and imagination. Ages 7–12. (Aug.)
The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia
DK, $19.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-1-4654-6178-0
This addition to the Visual Encyclopedia series covers a
broad range of traditions in painting, sculpture, photography,
music, and dance, from early civilizations to the present.
Photographs and reproduced artwork provide vivid examples
of artistic genres and styles, as well
as prominent creators. The section
on painting, by far the most expan-
sive of the five, introduces signifi-
cant movements—including
baroque, romanticism, impres-
sionism, and cubism—and profiles
influential painters. If flipping from
a portrait of Stravinsky to a spread
featuring Bob Dylan, Beyoncé, and
Jay Z catches readers off guard, it speaks to the breadth of
material covered. The final chapter on dance looks at ancient,
folk, and national dances, as well as contemporary crazes and
styles, including krumping and body popping. It’s a substan-
tial addition to a home library. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)
For Art’s Sake
Five books look at the fundamentals of art appreciation.
