Gr 6 Up-Educators and art-loving parents would agree with this book's title, though kids themselves might feel differently. The rare child who voluntarily peruses this work would learn as much by visiting a good art museum. Basic facts about each movement, which include Romanesque, impressionism, surrealism, cubism, and pop art, are offered in very brief, mostly double-spread chapters containing excellent color reproductions of representative works. However, there isn't enough information here for report writers. Entries begin with helpful features, such as fact boxes containing salient information on when these movements began and ended and subjects and characteristics of the artwork. Also useful are time lines that include artists who flourished during each period and historical, literary, and artistic events that occurred concurrently. Occasional "Good to Know" sidebars provide additional facts. Pointless "Crafts Ideas" and "Quizzes" are haphazardly distributed throughout, as are suggestions for further reading that do not include full bibliographic information. Oddly, in a book targeted to children, c. ("circa") and AD are not defined. Finger also neglects to identify the word medieval as referring to the Middle Ages and uses it interchangeably with Romanesque . The otherwise informative captions accompanying the reproductions rarely indicate the countries in which the owning museums are located, and some typos and misspellings add to the flaws. This title might find an audience in larger public library collections or in schools with art history units, but where budgets are limited, pass on this one. Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY

This installment in Prestel's successful art history series takes an audacious approach, focusing on the 13 important art styles in the history of Western civilization, beginning with Romanesque art found in medieval churches and continuing all the way to Andy Warhol's iconic pop art canvases. Each chapter includes a time line, which can occasionally get overcrowded with details; an accessible description of the movement's main features; and one or more beautifully reproduced examples in either painting or sculpture. Given the broad scope of this entry, it's perhaps not surprising, though still unfortunate, that notable women painters such as Mary Cassatt are only mentioned in passing and non-Western artists aren't mentioned at all. That being said, Finger's text provides just the right amount of context to bring the illustrations to life, and further reading suggestions are sprinkled throughout for kids who want to learn more. The main draw, of course, are the art-book-quality full-color reproductions, perfect for art-loving browsers. With a chronological approach and an appealing layout, this entry in the 13 series is an excellent introduction to Western art.