Art and How it Works: An Introduction to Art for Children

This is a beautifully informative introduction to art. I purchased it for an eight year old, but I'm enjoying it as much if not more than she.

Perfect art book for teaching young children. All pages and art used is appropriate. I had ordered two different books and was thinking I might not need this one but I gotta keep it. I feel It is essential to teaching art.

The book is not a sit down read but a resource when you want to discuss or show various types, techniques and methodology.

"Maybe four or five-year-olds to start", says my daughter-in-law. But also for me at 63 years of agent is nice for a refresher and eye candy.This is a very interesting book. It combines art disciplines and art history in one book. The colors, graphics, and the illustrations are fabulous. The same with the photos of famous works of art, and artists. The way they are all put together in each chapter is quite smart. The child, or in my case the adult can make the appropriate connections when relating all of these elements together.For example color theory. This is a sample chapter. The corresponding artwork is a painting by German artist Frans Mark. To relate better with color theory we have a painting with colors; for example, greens and blue-greens blending together calmly. These colors are side-by-side on the color wheel. Others are across from each other. This is a demonstration using famous art work to illustrate an important art concept. There is more but this is just an example. Then to further educate, there is reference to other artists works using bold colors as shown in a different chapter. The reader can follow threads and paths winding through chapters.We can go along from concept to concept, and through times in history to others with this approach. Corresponding techniques and theories are also a part of this. Open-ended questions are answered across the pages of this book.So there is a common thread woven through each chapter, yet each one is crafted around it’s own concepts.There are tips and suggested readings as well. I think it’s brilliant the way it all relates as if all ideas are connected in some way. As my husband would say, “connected like spaghetti”.Very thought-provoking and intuitive. If Art is problem-solving then is a process leading to that end.Although this book is written for children, I believe that for me as a 63-year-old, it hasn’t been a bad idea to go through this introductory art book for reference as well as entertainment, enrichment, and pleasure. And I don’t think I’m over selling either.On Thanksgiving Day my little 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter was introduced to this book, and it has been left with me to hold for her for later dates. At this time it is just another book with colorful illustrations. But I want her to remember grandma as someone who is as instrumental in teaching her these things, as her mother and her other grandmother are as well. She is a lucky girl. I will re-introduce her to this book along the way.The cover is wonderful just like every page in the book. The author, Ann Kay, Tomie dePaola, and the other talented parties are endlessly creative with new ways always to show one thing or another, comparing and contrasting, and looking at everything from different angles and differing perspectives.Enriching and entertaining. Enjoy.

I am an artist. One thing about art is that there is a secret to good art. There are terms for it, but the best way to explain it is to say that a truly well put together piece of art will guide your eyes through the painting and you don't even realize that your eyes are being guided. There is a flow to it. Let's see how this Art book measures up.WHAT IS THIS BOOK LIKE?This is a Dorling Kindersley book. They are known for having pages loaded with little microcosms of information so that students can learn snippets of things and go back later and learn more again. This book is set up similarly. IT has a little introduction to a variety of artistic styles and periods of art. They manage to tie in basic ideas and concepts including modern things people do with art (cellphones) to help art be relevant to the new generation coming up.HOW DOES THIS BOOK MEASURE UP?Some of the pages in this book are very well laid out. The flow is nice, the colors are balanced, and the reader is guided through a nice flow around the pages to make it a pleasure to remain on them to learn even if it is just a little bit.Some pages, however, are so disorderly and agitating that they make us want to get away from them. They do not make the reader want to stay and learn, but just quickly turn to the next page. Not much to see here...IS IT A GOOD INTRODUCTION FOR KIDS IN HOMESCHOOL?This is not only good for kids as a book to have at home, but it is great to use in homeschool. There is even a good lesson in how NOT to layout pages in publications that you can use it for as well as examples of the good ones. Our kids like this book, but did comment that the pages were confusing sometimes and they did not know where to look- almost like being yelled at in a noisy room.QUALITY OF PHOTOS?The quality of photos in this book is very good.THE BOTTOM LINEAlthough the layout of this book is overwhelming at times (even for the kids), there is still enough in this book to make it a good resource for introducing art to children as reading time or even in a home education situation.MY RATINGFour stars. It could have been put together a little better on some pages, but there is a lot of good content in this as well. The cover is definitely appealing.