This newest in the ever-appealing Bob Raczka's Art Adventures series focuses readers' attention on the early work of seven well-known artists, six men (Albrecht Durer, Michelangelo, John Singer Sargent, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí) and one woman (Artemesia Gentileschi). The book evolved when the author saw an early equestrian painting by the then–eight-year-old Picasso and his interest was piqued. He researched and found "juvenile" work by as many artists as he could, and the result is this lively compilation. Each of the artists' four-page profiles begins with a brief, kid-friendly biography of the artist and an image of that artist. This is followed by a work created by the artist in their childhood or young adulthood and then well-selected, interestingly captioned, representative images drawn from the mature artist's oeuvre. The author clearly enjoys introducing and decoding "high" art to kids; he encourages his young readers to "make sure your parents save a few of your favorite art projects. Who knows, maybe you'll grow up to be a famous artist!" The whole package is intriguing, pleasing and inviting. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
