Claude Monet

As the mother of a six year-old, I'm grateful for the appearance of this series, The Life and Work of... There aren't many art books for children this age; most are simply too long and involved for young children. This series is filled with large type text, beautiful reproductions, captivating period photos and, most important, a colorful narrative that is sure to appeal to children 4-8. Although my son is quite an accomplished reader for his age, he would never have managed the pronunciation of many foreign words in this text: Monet's wife Camille Doncieux, the Thames River, Rouen, etc. Given the helpful glossary at the end, I can't for the life of me understand why they didn't add a pronunciation guide. Still I won't take a star away from this series for the error, because I believe the book is more profitably shared by parent and child than read on its own. Children will laugh on their own at the sight of the pigeon on Monet's head, but they will need you to help them get more out of the paintings.