"Raczka's talent for explaining art to children continues with this book. The author gives readers a different perspective on Dürer, Michelangelo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Sargent, Klee, Picasso, and Dalí. One-page biographies focus on their childhoods and young adulthoods; three pages of color reproductions follow, among them, paintings done when the artists were 8, 10, or 17 years old. Lengthy captions give readers a tour of the 'gallery' and include additional facts. Art lovers will read this for pleasure, but report writers will also be fascinated by the information in this well-organized survey. It is sure to broaden the scope of any art shelf." --School Library Journal

"This newest in the ever-appealing Bob Raczka's Art Adventures series focuses readers' attention on the early work of seven well-known artists, six men (Albrecht Durer, Michelangelo, John Singer Sargent, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí) and one woman (Artemesia Gentileschi). The book evolved when the author saw an early equestrian painting by the then-eight-year-old Picasso and his interest was piqued. He researched and found 'juvenile' work by as many artists as he could, and the result is this lively compilation. Each of the artists' four-page profiles begins with a brief, kid-friendly biography of the artist and an image of that artist. This is followed by a work created by the artist in their childhood or young adulthood and then well-selected, interestingly captioned, representative images drawn from the mature artist's oeuvre. The author clearly enjoys introducing and decoding 'high' art to kids; he encourages his young readers to 'make sure your parents save a few of your favorite art projects. Who knows, maybe you'll grow up to be a famous artist!' The whole package is intriguing, pleasing and inviting." --Kirkus Reviews

"Raczka pairs paintings with quotes from their respective creators. The artists' words provide insightful glimpses into their philosophies or personalities. Pairings are thoughtful and sometimes humorous, highlighting the work of 19th- and 20th-century men and women from various countries. Raczka features well-known artists, but not always their most famous work, a choice that helps this collection stand out on the shelf. For example, readers will find Dinner for Threshers by Grant Wood when the obvious choice might have been American Gothic. Paintings are clearly labeled, with one or two pieces on a spread. Facts about each artist are appended. A clever and inspiring addition to the series."
--School Library Journal

"This book presents eighteen paintings illustrating the volume's theme of action in art. Works include Lichtenstein's Blam, Rivera's The Conquest of Mexico, and Bruegel's Children's Games. Each piece is described through short captions that together form a rhymed text: 'Ringmasters / Cannon Blasters...Big Top Swingers / Stone Slingers.' Notes about the paintings are appended."
--The Horn Book Guide

"In the introduction to this welcome addition to the Bob Raczka's Art Adventures series, Raczka says, 'I hope to explain, as simply as possible, the ideas behind fourteen different artistic styles.' Which is precisely what he does. Beginning with naturalism and ending with photorealism, with many stops along the way, this compact overview documents the shifts, both in terms of technique as well as subject matter, that differentiate each style from its predecessors. Each 'ism' gets a two-page spread, with a beautifully reproduced example facing a page that details what the style is, when and where it was popular, famous practitioners, important characteristics, and a paragraph explaining what makes the work shown a good stylistic example. Raczka doesn't often choose the most famous painting - or even the foremost artist - associated with a specific style, but instead finds something kids may be unfamiliar with, which ensures they will be looking with fresh eyes. An obvious choice for museum-bound children to glean a few basics of what they're about to see, this is also indispensable for any middle-grade classrooms introducing art history."
--Booklist

"This book looks at stylistic movements in Western art from the birth of Naturalism during the Renaissance through the 20th century, ending with Op Art and Photorealism. Unfortunately, the conversational narrative and detailed observations that characterized Raczka's Here's Looking at Me (2006) and Where in the World? (2007, both Millbrook) are reduced to a minimum here - to the book's detriment. Instead, each style is profiled using a fixed set of questions, with the answers presented as lists, short paragraphs, and bullet points. The art chosen to illustrate each style is in some cases perfect - van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait illustrates Naturalism; in others, surprising - Courbet's The Stone Breakers is a little-seen painting that is nonetheless a fine choice to illustrate Realism. However, some selections miss the mark. Turner's Snow Storm is used as an example of the Romantic style, but unless viewers are familiar with Turner's other paintings, this one will appear more Impressionistic or even abstract. This title fills a gap, but most libraries would be better served by a more comprehensive art history book for young people, such as Antony Mason's A History of Western Art (Abrams, 2007) or Claudio Merlo's The History of Art (Peter Bedrick, 2000)."
--School Library Journal