Introduces thirteen paintings from the Renaissance to the present, including the "Mona Lisa," "Water Lilies," and "Nighthawks," and discuses the subjects, symbolism, and painting techniques of each piece. - (Baker & Taylor)

People of all ages are fascinated by Mona Lisa’s beguiling smile, Van Gogh’s hypnotic night sky, and Frida Kahlo’s depiction of herself with a monkey. These paintings and ten others are featured in the book in large reproductions with accompanying details. The readable text offers biographical information about each artist and important facts about the painting’s technical and historical aspects. Games, quizzes, and coloring exercises provide additional opportunities for young readers to interact with the artworks, while a timeline throughout the book allows for easy historical orientation. Readers will return again and again to these works, which provide continued opportunities for contemplation and discovery. - (Prestel Publishing)

People of all ages are fascinated by Mona Lisa’s beguiling smile, Van Gogh’s hypnotic night sky, and Frida Kahlo’s depiction of herself with a monkey. These paintings and ten others are featured in the book in large reproductions with accompanying details. The readable text offers biographical information about each artist and important facts about the painting’s technical and historical aspects. Games, quizzes, and coloring exercises provide additional opportunities for young readers to interact with the artworks, while a timeline throughout the book allows for easy historical orientation. Readers will return again and again to these works, which provide continued opportunities for contemplation and discovery. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

This volume from the 13 . . . Children Should Know series introduces paintings by well-known figures in Western art: van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait, Botticelli's La Primavera, da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Durer's The Hare, Raphael's Sixtine Madonna, Velázquez's Las Meninas, Turner's The Fighting Téméraire, van Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's Child with a Dove, Monet's Water Lilies, Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Monkey, Hopper's Nighthawks, and Pollock's Number 32. Each presentation includes a reproduction of the painting, a few paragraphs discussing it, at least one close-up of a detail, and a fast-fact box about the painting and the artist. In some cases, a second double-page spread extends the discussion or features other works by the artist. Although sometimes the discussion comments on the painting, at other times the focus is on its history or subject matter. The illustrations are exceptionally clear and richly colored. The appended glossary defines terms such as baroque, expressive, and symbol but not body color or serviette. Good for browsers and for classroom "picture people." Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.