This book was a delight! It was just a random pick at a local library but kids enjoyed it and learned quite a lot from it. And I did too! So don't be discouraged by the title. ;)

It is basically a discussion between an artist and an art critic that helps the reader to look at, analyze, and appreciate visual arts. It's broken down by elements of a picture: lines, shadows, space, etc., and presents how they evolved throughout history. Authors describe major innovations (like new kinds of paints) or trends (like establishing trade routes with the Far East and its influence on Europe) that helped artists change and improve how we think about those concepts.

It might sound "academish" but the book is very approachable and written in easy language. Playful illustrations help to keep kids engaged while art examples are intriguing and insightful. It feels much more like an exploration and having a sneak peek into artists' secrets than a dry lecture on art history. It got many Wow!'s from my kids when we were reading it together so I guess it works for its target audience.

One technical thing that didn't work so well was the font choice. One author has a typical "bookish" font, while the other one has a sketchy comic-like font. The latter is difficult to read for younger kids and can frustrate them. Content-wise painting and photography were explained very well, especially how these two arts inspired each other. However, the film description only scratched the surface and digital art was only mentioned (and lacked any context or meaningful examples). I wish these newer forms of visual expression got more attention and depth.

Overall, it is a highly enjoyable book for kids and adults that will help them understand visual arts better. It leaves some blank spaces and many questions unanswered, so I hope it will be just an introduction to a further exploration and education for whole families :) ( )

In A History of Pictures, art critic Martin Gayford teams up with artist David Hockney to deliver an enlightening and entertaining discourse on art. The Introduction explains the book's format. It is an illustrated discussion between the artist and the art critic, each offering commentary on what he knows best. Gayford offers a more scholarly look at the history of an artistic period or work of art—the what and when, while Hockney offers an artists' perspective on the same—the why and the how.

Their conversations are accompanied by photos of actual art pieces, and cartoon illustrations by Rose Blake. Blake's playful illustrations add a lightness to the book and advance the conversation, showing simple explanations of concepts like depth and perspective, as well as explanations of early artistic tools like 16th century pinhole projectors, 18th century silhouette machines, and 19th century zoetropes. The authors and the illustrator appear in cartoon format throughout the book.

Engaging and educational, A History of Pictures for Children should be in every school and public library. The suggested age range is 10-14 however, it will likely appeal to older kids with artistic interests as well. I would go so far as to suggest that adults will find it interesting also. I found it thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Well done!

Read more and access links about A History of Pictures for Children at https://shelf-employed.blogspot.com ( )