Modern Art Explorer

Alice Harman, Serge Bloch

Featuring a diverse range of modern artists and their works, Modern Art Explorer takes young readers on an undercover adventure to discover the stories behind famous works.

Witty and brilliantly illustrated, Modern Art Explorer is an approachable introduction to modern art for children. Featuring Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and many more, this book brings readers the stories behind thirty famous artworks. Young readers will see art as something real, something born out of ideas, inspiration, human lives, world events, and the materials artists use.

Modern Art Explorer goes undercover and turns each work of art inside out, providing children with an ability to understand what each piece is all about. Buoyed by award-winning illustrator Serge Bloch’s cheeky and energetic illustrations, this book prompts children to think about how art comes into being and to take a deeper look at the ideas within each work.

Written with a fresh and current voice, this book is a fun and illuminating guide to modern art for children.

Reviews

A chatty and irreverent tour of the Centre Pompidou, in Paris…featuring 30 paintings and sculptures.

— The Wall Street Journal

In just under 100 pages, the author presents thirty of the greatest works of many of the movers and shakers of modern art… An excellent resource for teaching children about art… Perfect for preparing for a trip to the art museum.

— EatReadSleep

Illuminating… The unusual selection of artists working in different styles, media that vary from paint to bottle caps, and sassy commentary makes this volume stand out from others. With contemporary language…this book becomes a lively tour conducted by a knowledgeable curator.

— Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)

An accessible mix of history and interpretation spiked with saucy asides [and] jazzily hip illustrations… Appealing and informative.

— Publishers Weekly

Pull[s] together an overview of the Centre Pompidou's vast collection of more than a century of modern art… Without a doubt, it is a very good thing that there are bright lights out there like Alice Harman's, the book's inventive writer, and Serge Bloch, the book's veteran illustrator.

— The New York Times Book Review

Contributors

Alice Harman

Author

Alice Harman has written more than forty books for children, including the highly acclaimed Modern Art Explorer, and developed the award-winning Why is Art Full of Naked People?

Serge Bloch

Illustrated By

Serge Bloch is an internationally renowned illustrator and author from France who has contributed to over one hundred books for children and was previously the art director at Bayard Jeunesse. He is the winner of multiple awards, including the Society of Illustrators’ Gold Medal and the Bologna Ragazzi Award for Nonfiction.