How Artists See the Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water Book

In How Artists See the Elements children can see how Red Grooms created clumps of earth out of dabs and lines of paint; how Arthur Dove captured the beauty and destructiveness of fire at the same time; how N. C. Wyeth made air "visible"; and how Katsushika Hokusai suggested the immense power of the ocean's waves by using strong, curving lines.

How Artists See is a breakthrough series of interactive, inquiry-based books designed to teach children about the world by look-ing at art and about art by looking at the world. Each volume presents sixteen diverse works of art, all devoted to a subject that every child already knows from personal experience. Author Colleen Carroll's engaging, conversational text is filled with thought-provoking questions and imaginative activities that spark children's natural curiosity both about the subject of the artwork they are looking at and about the way it was created.

This direct, interactive approach to art-and to the world-promotes self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-expression. The books introduce basic artistic concepts, styles, and techniques, and are loads of fun. For children who want to know more about the artists whose works appear in each book, biographies are provided at the end, along with suggestions for further reading and an international list of museums where each artist's works can be seen.

As children begin to understand the multitude of ways that artists see, they will deepen their appreciation of art and artists, of the world around them, and of their own unique vision.

Other Details: 37 full-color illustrations 48 pages 7 x 7" Published 1998

"Carroll's series... eclipses the competition... How Artists See has the makings of a classic—a core experience for budding art enthusiasts to build on." —Publishers Weekly

"Wow! . . . It just doesn't get any better than this." —Children's Literature Choice list 1997

Author Biography: Colleen Carroll is an educational consultant whose clients include Nickelodeon, MTV, USA Today, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. She has taught sixth grade in California and now develops the art curriculum for The Edison Project. She lives in New York.

Examines how the four elements have been depicted in works of art from different time periods and places.