What people like-
There are 48 artists featured and 14 composers.
Great introduction to several famous artists and composers.
Geared for young children, but all ages can appreciate these books
Colorful illustrations, fun comics, just enough details to appreciate each artist/composer.
What people don’t like-
- These are not in-depth studies of each composer/artist.
- Parents may need to preview the comics beforehand.
User tips-
Buy books separately from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, etc.
Also have Getting to Know... Presidents, Inventors and Scientists
Try instead-
For one book featuring 75 different artists, try Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters, available from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Great-Artists-Hands-On-Children/dp/0935607099/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
For a free music resource, try the website, Classics for Kids which features bios of composers, music selections, games and more for free! http://classicsforkids.com/
Author/Publisher/Website- Mike Venezia (author and illustrator) /Children’s Press/ http://www.mikevenezia.com/mikevenezia/index.asp
Summary from company- “All of my books introduce children to art, music, and history in an unstuffy, fun way. Each of the books tells the story of a famous artist or composer, from masters well known among children, such as Pablo Picasso and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to less familiar names such as Frida Kahlo and Aaron Copland. Written for children and families, my books are full of famous artworks and light cartoon-like drawings that help children feel more comfortable about art and music and let them see the artists and composers as real people who had a special gift to give.”
What Friends are Saying about Getting to Know the World's Greatest...
I have loved Meet the Masters combined with the Getting to Know the Worlds Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia...these books are so fun it doesn't even feel like education wink emoticon. He also has series on Composers, Inventors and Presidents. - Ka
I'm sure everyone already knows about these books but just in case you don't, the "Getting to Know the World's Greatest...(Artists, Composers, Presidents)" series is so darn awesome! I enjoy them, my 7 year old loves them and my 5 year old is also really into them. They are so educational and have hilarious little comics on each page too, to make it a little more appealing. It totally works. I just picked up a bunch from the library and my 7 year old boys was so excited and begged to read one tonight. My kids and I actually know and remember stuff about the artists and composerswe have studied. My favorite series so far! - Dana
On amazon (this is just where I buy them, they might be at your local library) look up the author "Mike Venezia". He does "Getting to know the worlds greatest artists" collection. He has a series for Composers too that we buy. These books are great for kids, I have a 4th grader, 1st grader and K that just love them. We use the information and do lapbooks with lesson plans from "Confessions of a Homeschooler". She uses the same books, it's great. Here's a link to her lessons. It's like $5 for a whole year of artist lessons. -Chrystina
