The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia

Gr 4–8—This eye-catching offering chronologically explores the history of painting, sculpture, photography, music, and dance. Painting, for instance (which receives the most attention), starts with a look at cave drawings and ends with an examination of contemporary artists such as Gerhard Richter and Ibrahim El-Salahi. The intended audience will likely recognize many of the topics: Leonardo da Vinci, Egypt's Sphinx, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and ballet. Other individuals, such as sculptor and painter Louise Bourgeois, may be less familiar. Coverage is up-to-date (for dance, there's a page on 2016's La La Land), but overwhelmingly rooted in European art forms, and though informative, like many DK titles, the book provides only a brief treatment of each topic. A useful glossary and index round out the volume.