Families: Mother, Father, Sister, Brother

Colleen Carrol has written an inquiry-based art appreciation book for children that my daughter and I throughly enjoyed. The book embraces a multi -cultureal approach by selecting 16 men and women artists who define in their art work what family is for them. The selection of art work represented in the book is from art history ( Matisse, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt Kikugawa Eizan etc.) as well as from contemporary art ( Marisol, Faith Ringgold, and Carmen Lomas Garza ) giving the book a broad range of examples. Details of the given art work are furnished to provide an opportunity to make indept observations. With emphisis on family being the comon denominator, the author raises challenging question for the reader to examine the work of art at hand. The text not only sparks the childs imagination by making inquires but occasionally uses cross referencing of art works in the book to compare and challenge the thought process. The book concludes with a rich note to parents and teachers, artists biographies and age related suggested reading. I highly recommend this book !