How to talk to children about art

by Françoise Barbe-Gall

From the Publisher: Anticipating how kids react to paintings by artists as diverse as Botticelli, Vermeer, Degas, Chagall, and Pollack, this resource for adults who want children to love and understand art prepares them for the types of questions kids ask. Providing parents and teachers with valuable tips for making any visit to a museum with children a success, this guide offers a great primer or refresher course on art history, allowing adults to confidently answer common questions, such as why some paintings are signed and others are not, some pictures are small and others are very large, and why the Dutch paint so much fruit. Questions and answers about 30 well-known paintings provide historical background, explain genres such as still life and portrait, and demystify religious and mythological themes. Color-coded tabs let adults flip to sections appropriate to the ages of their children (5-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-13+ years).