Full-color reproductions of more than twenty paintings and informative text help children learn why these paintings have intrigued art lovers for centuries and discover just what makes each work a masterpiece.

Continuing the oversize art book series begun with Art Up Close (about which PW wrote, "Art lovers will enjoy this inviting exercise"), Claire d'Harcourt takes on more than two dozen paintings in her third title, Masterpieces Up Close: Western Painting from the 14th to 20th Centuries. Gorgeous reproductions of paintings from da Vinci's Mona Lisa (circa 1505) to Warhol's 1964 silkscreen, Marilyn (images of Marilyn Monroe) entice art lovers to examine details, enlarged and explained by the author, and to learn about the artists in brief biographies. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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Gr 4-8 -From Giotto to Warhol, d'Harcourt selects some of the most famous icons of Western art for a closer look. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa , Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and Rembrandt's Night Watch receive scrutiny here. Those familiar with Art Up Close (2003) and The Louvre in Close-Up (2004, both Chronicle) will recognize the format of this oversize volume: boldly colored spreads featuring a central, large image surrounded by smaller details from it. Interesting tidbits and questions accompany each small picture, inviting viewers to wonder, think, and question what they see. Children will especially enjoy looking for the details in the larger image. More information and answers to some of the questions presented are given every three or four pages, generally corresponding to the end of a century. The last pages include lift-the-flap copies of the paintings and biographical sketches of the artists. A visually striking volume for browsers and art education.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH

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