Painting

More than 30 renowned works of art, from cave paintings to an expressionist canvas by Mark Rothko, as well as diagrams, charts and photographs, combine to form a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the act of painting. The clear, vivacious text covers such matters as equipment, technique, composition, color and the importance of imagination. Pictures of real-life objects, such as Monet's palette and little piles of ground pigments, share crowded but ingeniously organized pages with informatively captioned masterworks, many by or of women. Exercises for trying out ideas noted in the text are simple and should inspire self-confidence, as should the authors' gently encouraging tone. Practical advice about wearing aprons, cleaning brushes and using newspapers to protect surfaces shows unusual respect for youngsters' sense of responsibility. Not only the means but the joy of painting resounds throughout this dynamic book--a real achievement. Ages 7-up. (Dec.)