My Big Book of the World’s Greatest Art

Organized into 10 sections—Prehistory, Antiquity, Middle Ages I and II, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism, Art of Revolution, Avant-Garde, Contemporary Art, and Art of Today—this book tackles more than 30,000 years of art history. Each section receives two spreads: one of period-specific, emblematic objects, people, and places, and one representative scene containing five details from the previous spread alongside a short paragraph citing notable developments from the era: “Pictures of saints adorn the buildings, as do shimmering golden mosaics that depict the life of Jesus Christ.” Answers to the puzzle pictures appear in a key at the end, but there is no explanation for the near-total omission of artists of color and the inclusion of just five women artists (Louise Bourgeois, Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, Marilyn Monroe, and Hyacinthe Rigaud). Though the text’s approach is retro, Lockhart’s whimsically stylized illustrations are on-trend, leaning heavily on pink, blue, yellow, and green. Ages 8–12. [em](Sept.) [/em]