Getting More Out of It

Practicalities Getting Organised Getting More Out of It Art 

There are few art books for children covering specific destinations but there are a number on specific artists. You can pick one who you are likely to encounter - Rembrandt in Amsterdam, Botticelli in Florence etc. Focusing on just a handful of paintings, or even just one for very little children, seems to work best. It is also a good idea is to take paper and crayons so they can try copying what they see. Look out for galleries, such as Tate Britain in London, which have Art Trolley sessions, in which materials are provided.

Titles on Specific Artists

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: El Greco Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Matiss, Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Botticelli Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Breugel Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Mary Cassatt Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Salvador Dali Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Gaugin Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Van Gogh Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Goya Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Edward Hopper Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Klee Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Toulouse Lautrec Franklin Watts, £10.99

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Michelangelo Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Monet Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Georgia O'Keefe Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Picasso Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Jackson Pollock Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Rembrandt Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Pierre Auguste Renoir Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Diego Riviera Franklin Watts, £10.99, 8-11 years

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Leonardo da Vinci Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years


Famous Artists: Cezanne Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Van Gogh Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Leonardo da Vinci Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Matisse Franklin Watts, £9.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Michelangelo Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Miro Franklin Watts, £9.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Monet Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years

Famous Artists: Picasso Franklin Watts, £4.99, 8-11 years Views of the life and work with colour reproductions of the artist's work in 32 pages.

The Life and Work of ... Vincent Van Gogh Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Oscar-Claude Monet Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Leonardo Da Vinci Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Henry Moore Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Paul Cezanne Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Laurence Stephen Lowry Heinemann £8.97 5+

The Life and Work of ... Paul Klee Heinemann £8.97 5+
A series reconstructing artwork of particular scenes from the artist's life, with examples of work at various stages of their life with text to link life and work, life story and photographs of the artist.

What Makes A ...? Breugel Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Casatt Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Degas Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Goya Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Leonardo Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Monet Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Picasso Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Raphael Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Rembrandt Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years

What Makes A ...? Van Gogh Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years
? What Makes A ...? Richard Muhlberger, Cherrytree Books, £6.99, 9-13 years
Written by the former vice-president for education at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, looking at specific paintings, how to identify the artist through colour, shape, composition, and overview of the work and influence of other artists.

First Discovery Art: Henri Matisse artwork Tony Ross, Moonlight Publishing, £6.99, 6-11 years

First Discovery Art: Pablo Picasso artwork Tony Ross, Moonlight Publishing, £6.99, 6-11 years

First Discovery Art: Vincent Van Gogh artwork Tony Ross, Moonlight Publishing, £6.99, 6-11 yearsShowing how the artist worked, with transparent sheets and cutaways to show the techniques.


Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail Laurence Anholt, Francis Lincoln, £4.99, 5-9 years
An introduction based on a true story.

Degas and the Little Dancer Laurence Anholt, Frances Lincoln, £4.99, 4-8 years
The story of a girl who wanted to be a famous dancer but whose parents couldn't afford her dancing lessons. Degas used her as a model for the famous sculpture.

Camille and the Sunflowers Laurence Anholt, Francis Lincoln. £4.99, 4-8 years
Vincent Van Gogh seen through the eyes of a small boy.

General Titles on Art

Almost Famous Daisy Richard Kidd, Francis Lincoln, £4.99, 5-9 years
A child travels the world painting her favourite things and introducing works by Van Gogh, Monet, Chagall, Gauguin and Jackson Pollock.
Lives and Legends of the Saints Carole Armstrong, Francis Lincoln, £6.99, 7+
17 of the best known bible stories, beginning with the creation, illustrated with paintings they inspired, from galleries around the world. As the same stories are illustrated again and again this is useful background information for children who want to understand the stories of paintings they see in other places.

Stories from the Old Testament The National Gallery London, Francis Lincoln, £6.99 7+
Stories from the New Testament The National Gallery London, Francis Lincoln, £6.99 7+
Two more titles along similar lines, both based on paintings in the National Gallery, London.

Looking at Pictures: An Introduction to Art for Young People through the collection of the National Gallery A&C Black, £10.99 9-13 years
‘Properly didactic as well as delightful book,' said the Times Educational Supplement. Based round the art collection of the National Gallery uses examples of great paintings to discuss narration, portraits and landscapes.

Journeys: Discovered through Art and Technology A&C Black, £4.50 5-7 years