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Find out moreUnlock your inner artist with the books in our Art section. Great, practical books to help kids to get creative...books to help parents introduce children to the world of art and artists. There's something for all kids from 3+.
From cave paintings to modern masterpieces, discover the history of art in this beautiful sticker book. Each page is filled with fascinating facts about the pictures and artists, and there's a timeline showing the history of art, plus links to websites where you can tour art galleries. Published in association with The National Gallery, London.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick for November 2018 | December 2018 Book of the Month | An outstanding book for everyone who has enjoyed We’re Going on a Bear Hunt or any of Helen Oxenbury’s other wonderful books from her board books capturing the smallest details of toddler life to her witty and sophisticated illustrations to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Distinguished children’s book critic Leonard S. Marcus takes reader’s behind the scenes of Oxenbury’s life as he recounts the major moments which mark out her career of such exceptional originality and sets it firmly within the publishing context of the period. The wealth of Oxenbury’s exquisite illustrations that have been reproduced in the highest possible quality make it a book that gives hours of enjoyment and inspiration.
This craft box is full of exciting arty ideas, all with a nature theme and it makes a great gift idea for children. Housed in a sturdy box there are 20 project ideas, activity cards, bunting and more.
Winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards 2019, Best Book with Facts | | A fascinating information book, The Colours of History takes readers to different places at different times to show how humans have used colour in art, politics and trade. They’ll learn how indigo, made from plants that grow in Asia, began to be traded round the world in the 15th century, how hundreds of years later it was used to colour a type of cloth in Nîmes, which eventually became known as ‘denim’. It explains how pink has been regarded as a ‘boy colour’ and a ‘girl colour’, and why, in the US in the early 20th century, margarine was pink. And it describes how the discovery of a new mineral in a Russian gold mine transformed Van Gogh’s paintings. It’s an unusual and vivid way to demonstrate how interconnected the world has always been, and mankind’s endless ingenuity too.
The Story of Art Picture Book is a great way to foster children’s interest in art. With masses of colour reproductions of paintings and artworks, it’s full of information on the way painting has developed over the centuries, from the cave paintings of Lascaux to the modern art of Louise Bourgeois and Anish Kapoor. The text is short and easy to read, and highlights details in the various artworks that will have particular appeal to children, occasional cartoon illustrations adding extra snippets of information – Rembrandt pulling faces at himself in a mirror for example, to help him draw different facial expressions. You can take special virtual tours of art galleries too via links on the Usborne website. ~ Andrea Reece
What's the point of art? Why do artists draw themselves? Who were the Impressionists? Discover the answers to these questions and many more in this entertaining information book, containing over 60 flaps to lift.
With contents and index pages for easy reference, and links to specially selected websites to take virtual tours of art galleries.
This clever, stylish picture book is an excellent and very accessible introduction to different art styles, from the earliest cave paintings through to Cubism and contemporary art. It is also a neat celebration of human diversity, acknowledging that we are all unique, and all works of art. In appealing lines of rhyming text, Mark Sperring presents a series of statements guaranteed to make readers examine the artworks represented in Rose Blake’s illustrations: “We might look rather classic” for example, under a painting of an Ancient Greek sculpture. It’s ingenious, fun to read and revisit, and just the sort of book to prompt a family trip to the local art gallery too. ~ Andrea Reece
Two children, Emmy and Jeff, escort readers into a world of colours in Ross Collins’ new picture book. Each spread is given over to one colour, from yellow, which brightens the day, through blue, which cools things down, to green which grows and grows, until they are all there and it’s just ‘Too much!’ say Jeff and Emmy. The text is admirably short but the pictures are full of life and action, thanks to the interaction between the children and the colours, which all have their own personality. Specially designed for readers – child or adult – with dyslexia, this is easy to read but bursting with ideas.~ Andrea Reece
A friendly and inspiring introduction to art history, telling the stories of the world's greatest paintings and artists from prehistory to the modern day The Story of Paintings begins with the cave paintings of our Stone Age ancestors and continues through to the modern day. Mick Manning and Brita Granstroem take your on a tour of their personally selected gallery which showcases the work of some of the world's most famous artists and few a less well-known ones. The artists featured include van Eyck, da Vinci, Bruegel, Rembrandt, Velazquez, JMW Turner, Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Georgia O'Keefe, Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Jackson Pollock as well as Dame Laura Knight and Kalan Khan. The friendly text and illustrations help children to appreciate the art, highlighting interesting biographical details and picking out key details to spot. The book's large format means the art is reproduced on a wonderfully impactful scale. This really is a book to give and treasure. The creative team of Mick Manning and Brita Granstroem are well-known for their ground breaking children's information books. Their many awards range the TES Information Book Award for What's Under the Bed? and the English Association Non-fiction award for Charlie's War Illustrated.
This striking, energetic series of which this is one of the titles, takes a rapid-fire ‘look and learn’ approach to subjects suitable for children aged 8 and over and each title makes the learning experience really fun. With fascinating topics ranging from Dinosaurs to Art, from Myths to Science, each of these books presents a key subject in a fresh and fascinating format. The subjects in each title are explained in 30-second sound-bites, supported by 3-second flash summaries. And if all that isn’t stimulating enough, the 3-minute mini-missions included will further challenge lively young minds. With colourful, original explanatory artwork on every page and text from a range of expert authors, these books are loaded with fun information and fast-track facts.
A beautiful illustrated record of Chris Riddell's time as the Children's Laureate 2015-2017 with cloth quarter binding, ribbon marker and beautiful end papers this truly is a book to treasure.
With the holidays looming on the horizon, why not plan some time for some art and some artists and perhaps include a trip to a local art gallery? It’s a great way to fire their imagination for painting and drawing. To help them get the most out of it we have range of practical books suitable for a variety of ages, and other lovely books that will ‘help the whole family get into art’ …
