I really like this book as a classroom resource. The layout of the book introduces you to the mediums and then takes you from one piece of artwork to another. It introduces the time period, artist, painting and the type of painting it is. The book's illustrations are what makes this book so great. Along with a photo of the original artwork, it also has pictures of the artist and little cartoons, which would appeal to those younger students. Another great component to this book is that it has internet links throughout the book. The Usborne site has information to supplement the book. If a student was interested in finding more information on a topic, they can go the website the book supplies and find it there. This is a great way to use technology along with the book. The main point of this book is to introduce students to famous pieces of art. Some of the artists in here are very well known, and others aren't as common. Here they can tie the artwork to the artist and explore even more if they wish to do so. ( )

This book is very informative without being overwhelming. There is a balance of graphics (famous paintings) and, captions, and explanations. The author does not sacrifice correct terminology for the targeted age group, but rather, includes simple definitions in parentheses. I was very impressed with this resource and it exceeded my expectations. ( )