INTRODUCING PICASSO

An attractive brief survey, focusing on the most significant of Picasso's styles, with a scattering of b&w photos and some fine color reproductions of his work (mostly paintings) plus works of art that influenced him. Art educator Heslewood does a good job of selecting information of interest to young readers and pitching it in an accessible style, without oversimplification; though her brief sentences are a bit choppy, authority and understanding shine through the uncomplicated text. There are occasional references to art that's not shown, but there are also ideas here that even sophisticated readers will find intriguing—e.g., comparisons of Picasso's abstract ``copies'' of two paintings by Vel†zquez with the earlier painter's originals. A fine contribution. Chronology; index. (Nonfiction. 8+)