A Whole World of Art - by Sarah Phillips (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Even before they could write, people have always told stories with pictures and sculptures. And though art is universal, the story we know about it is not. Join two young adventurers on a truly global journey through thousands of years of art history. Discover treasure in Ancient Greece, marvel at bronze sculptures in Benin, decode messages hidden in Frida Kahlo's self-portraits, and think about the ideas behind Ai Weiwei's breathtaking installations. With 27 adventures to discover from around the world, each page features a key artist and artwork, with lots of things to spot and facts to learn along the way." -- Back cover.

Book Synopsis

This beautifully illustrated book seeks to tell children the true story of art, in which the rich visual canon from every culture is explored by looking at key works from different times and places.

Even before they could write, people were telling stories with pictures. And though art is universal, the story we know about it is not. A Whole World of Art opens your eyes to a global view of art by taking you on a whirlwind tour around the world and through time. With two companions--a boy and a girl--travel through 27 destinations from the history of art, circling the globe.

Each spread shows a stunning, edge-to-edge illustrated scene from art history portraying an artist or artists making important artwork within a detailed background. A paragraph of introductory text and small captions around the page give fascinating details about the artists and the time and place in which they lived. Art project ideas provide inspiration throughout. Visit:

• Athens, Greece (450 BCE), where you will marvel at the gleaming gold statues and marble architecture
• The Ming Dynasty, China (1368-1644), where you will discover intricate designs, drawings, and calligraphy on paper and porcelain
• Benin City, Africa (1550), where you will meet the brass-casters who create elaborately detailed plaques and ornaments only for the Oba (or king)
• Coyoacan, Mexico (1907-1954), where you will get to know the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Written by art history teacher Dr. Sarah Phillips, who rewrote and decolonized the A Level syllabus in the UK, and illustrated by talented artist Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra, this gorgeous book offers a fresh, inclusive view of the history of art.

Review Quotes

'aims to further widen the art-historical canon for children beyond the European tradition. Gorgeously illustrated by Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra in the style of a comic-book adventure story, it invites readers to time-travel through 27 scenes from art history across every continent, without having to leave the house at all.'--Art Quarterly

About the Author

Sarah Phillips has taught art history in state primary and secondary schools and recently rewrote the A Level syllabus with a decolonizing agenda. She is a paper writer and examiner for the art History A Level in the UK.

Dion MBD is an Indonesian illustrator/designer who is based in Brooklyn, New York. He works on a range of projects including editorial, publishing, and TV commercials. Dion received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, where he developed his fascination with clouds.