Books in Art Smart series

Keesia and Henri Matisse have the same birthday—New Year’s Eve! That’s why she picks him for her artist report. She finds out that over his long career Matisse made paintings, sculpture, books, costumes, and her favorite—his cut-outs, or what Matisse called “drawing with scissors.” The report is filled with about 20 of Matisse’s masterpieces as well as artwork that Keesia has created in his “style” (cut-out leaves, drawings through windows, fauvist animals). As she follows Matisse through his life she discovers why he is considered one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.

Mary Cassatt is most famous for her paintings of mothers and babies, and that's what first attracts "Claire" because she has a new baby sister. But through research for her class report Claire learns many surprising facts about Mary: she was an American who lived in France nearly all her life, she never married or had children herself, and she became a professional artist at a time when respectable ladies simply did not do that! With beautiful reproductions of Mary Cassatt's best-loved paintings as well as lively childlike pictures that illustrate her life, this Smart About Art book gives children a wonderful "portrait" of a great artist and fascinating woman.Illustrated by Jennifer Kalis.

One of the Impressionist era's best-loved painters, Pierre-Auguste Renoirpainted every day for 60 years—that's over 5,000 paintings! The joie de vivre expressed in his work is reflected on every page of Smart About Art: Pierre-Auguste Renoir in colorful, dynamic illustrations and 17 reproductions. With humor and insight, this title takes us through the life of an artist who at first was so unpopular that his paintings were attacked with umbrellas. Written as if it were a child's own class report, this title is sure to draw new young fans to Renoir's paintings.