The Ultimate Art Museum

Aiming to demystify museum art for young readers, Gipson offers a compilation of “wings” and “rooms” filled with clear photos of art—both traditional mediums such as cave art and carvings, and modern ones such as LED lights—spanning from the Stone Age to contemporary times. Galleries are helpfully color-coded, and questions throughout offer thought-provoking prompts and interactive suggestions for connections to other art pieces within. Inset boxes titled Art Detective reveal fun tidbits, such as the fact that Pipilotti Rist’s video art inspired a Beyoncé music video. While this tome can’t quite replace the real-life experience of museums, it provides an accessible, well-organized, and solidly enjoyable foundation for anyone interested in art history, including discussions of feminist art (featuring Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro) and decolonizing art (featuring Yinka Shonibare and Kara Walker). Back matter includes an author’s note, a list of famous museums around the world, a glossary, an index, and photo credits. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)