COLORS

The director of the Department of Education at New York's Museum of Modern Art uses 19 paintings, photos, and other works of art from that collection to explore the uses of color: to convey mood; to create pure designs, or realistic or imaginary scenes; to represent the play of light; etc. The art is well chosen to demonstrate the ideas suggested; consideration of the paintings, together with Yenawine's many queries (``Look closely at this [Seurat] to see little dots of color. See how they blend together when you move back?''), will, as intended, start young museum-goers on the road to informed appreciation. The questions do seem didactically insistent, especially in the other titles in this new series (Lines; Shapes; Stories), and buying all four is an expensive proposition; still, excellent concept books. Full citations for the art are included. (Nonfiction. 6-10)