A Whole World of Art

by Sarah Phillips (Author) Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

This beautifully illustrated book seeks to tell children the true story of art, in which the rich visual canon from every culture is explored by looking at key works from different times and places. Even before they could write, people were telling stories with pictures. And though art is universal, the story we know about it is not.

A Whole World of Art opens your eyes to a global view of art by taking you on a whirlwind tour around the world and through time. With two companions--a boy and a girl--travel through 27 destinations from the history of art, circling the globe. Each spread shows a stunning, edge-to-edge illustrated scene from art history portraying an artist or artists making important artwork within a detailed background.

A paragraph of introductory text and small captions around the page give fascinating details about the artists and the time and place in which they lived. Art project ideas provide inspiration throughout.

Visit:

  • Athens, Greece (450 BCE), where you will marvel at the gleaming gold statues and marble architecture
  • The Ming Dynasty, China (1368-1644), where you will discover intricate designs, drawings, and calligraphy on paper and porcelain
  • Benin City, Africa (1550), where you will meet the brass-casters who create elaborately detailed plaques and ornaments only for the Oba (or king)
  • Coyoacan, Mexico (1907-1954), where you will get to know the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Written by art history teacher Dr. Sarah Phillips, who rewrote and decolonized the A Level syllabus in the UK, and illustrated by talented artist Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra, this gorgeous book offers a fresh, inclusive view of the history of art.

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Hardcover
$26.00

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School Library Journal

Gr 3 Up--In this time-traveling art tour, Alzena (who is Black) and Miles (who is white) visit every continent, meet incredible artists, and learn. With the goal of inspiring young artists, 27 vignettes from 1350 BCE Egypt to 2018 in the Czech Republic feature diverse male and female artists. There is brief mention of slaves being used to build the Colosseum, but otherwise Phillips maintains a light touch. Nudity is concealed with the exception of Michelangelo's David (depicted in a vague line drawing). The graphic novel--inspired artwork incorporates representations of cultures and artworks. Photographs of original works are seamlessly woven into the spreads. Depending on the era or location, a key artist is featured. On other spreads, architecture or sculpture is showcased. Some names and locations will be familiar, while others will be new discoveries, making this a title a worthy addition to nonfiction collections for young readers. The book closes with a glossary and suggestions for further reading. VERDICT A solid overview of art from BCE Egypt to almost-present day. Purchase wherever such titles are needed.--Sarah Sieg

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"...a worthy addition to nonfiction collections for young readers."—School Library Journal
Sarah Phillips

Sarah Phillips has taught art history in state primary and secondary schools and recently rewrote the A Level syllabus with a decolonizing agenda. She is a paper writer and examiner for the art History A Level in the UK.

Dion MBD is an Indonesian illustrator/designer who is based in Brooklyn, New York. He works on a range of projects including editorial, publishing, and TV commercials. Dion received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, where he developed his fascination with clouds.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780711265370
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Wide Eyed Editions
Publication date
September 19, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF006040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | History
JNF052020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Customs, Traditions, Anthropology
JNF069000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
-

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