Where in the World?: Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art

by Bob Raczka

Presents thirteen works of art from different countries around the world, giving facts about the life of each individual artist and his unique style.

Genres: Art, Childrens, Picture Books, Nonfiction

31 pages, Library Binding

First published December 31, 2006

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book to learn about geography and art. But also, history, social justice, mathematics, life in cities around the world, environmental sciences. Since PBS has a series based on around the world in 80 days, I did a search at my library finding the Jules Verne novel and also this book. So very happy I checked this one out, too. Fascinating choices — fun project to make a list using this format. I plan to re-read this book before returning it to my library.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a little more global variety in this book, but unfortunately, I think that Raczka missed the mark on a few countries. Tahiti was represented by Gauguin, a French man. Ecuador was represented by Church, an American man. The United States is listed as 2 of the 13 works. Afghanistan is represented by an Italian man because he was inspired by Afghan weaving techniques and hired Afghan women to do the weaving. I realize he says "Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art," and it is only implied that there is a wide representation of countries, but I still feel a bit mislead.
The 13 artists?
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese man)
Christo & Jean-Claude (Australian couple)
Paul Gauguin (French man)
Ansel Adams (American man)
Diego Rivera (Mexican man)
Frederick Edwin Church (American man)
Romare Bearden (American man)
L.S. Lowry (English man)
Gustave Caillebotte (French man)
Carel Fabritius (Dutch man)
Paul Klee (German man)
Canaletto (Italian man)
Alighiero E Boetti (Italian man)
Yup, only one woman listed here, and she's listed with her husband. *sigh*
On the upside, it has nice little blurbs about each piece/artist.

[Crystal M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the artists are Westerns and there is only one woman. This means that we mostly see the world through the eyes of white men. I understand that traditional South American and African cultures didn’t prioritize landscapes or cityscapes in their art, and this book by its nature is trying to show the audience those subjects, but it’s noticeable and a conversation starter with older children. It would’ve been nice for the author to acknowledge the western bias and explain why land/cityscapes aren’t prevalent in some cultures. There is also no Native American art.
This is a good intro to world art for children and covers a variety of mediums, styles, and time periods.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linking art to geography, and offering brief artist bios, this is a good informational tour of the world.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great concept for a book, but severely lacking in female representation.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of Raczka's unique perspective art books imed at young peopple, but full of info for adults as well. This one is 13 paintings depicting international scenes, some are well known artists, others are lesser known. I particularly liked the painting as well as the info regarding "A View of Delft with a Musical Instrument Seller'd Stall" by Carel Fabritius--his connection to Rembrandt and Vermeer was interesting. I will be looking for photos of his 12 paintings that have survived.

A truly unique work of art is Mappa del Mondo" by Alighiero E Boetti,both the actual art as well as its unique creation process. It isa map of the world using each countries flag to portray the shape of the country--such an interesting perspective. As for the creation the flags representing the countries wwere woven by women from Afghanistan where the skill of rug weaving is thousands of years old.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where in the World? Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art will give any individual a taste of fine art from a variety of cultures. Not only does the reader get an introduction to various art forms including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and collage but he/she is also given insight into the time period and culture where these works were created. This book highlights key works of art through crisp reproductions and interesting text that informs one about the artist and the work of art. It is an excellent resource for those who want to learn more about the connections between fine art and culture.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another outstanding art book for children; I’ve been finding many which is terrific.

It’s a combination art, art history, history, and even world geography book.

There are 13 essays, each accompanied by a work of art. Obviously, it’s not comprehensive but there’s a good sampling.

Shown are paintings, photography, cloth, collage, environmental art.

There are artists from different countries and different time periods and different styles and different personal backgrounds.

The last work of art is a map of the world, using the country’s flags to fill in their areas. Unfortunately, it’s dated because it was created in 1989, but I really liked it.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where in the World? Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art, by Bob Raczka, has turned out to be my newest favorite book for Kate. It’s a collection of 13 works of art from around the world (duh, you probably got all that from the title) with a page describing the geographical location of the piece as well as the artist and the time he/she lived in. It’s written for kids, so the language isn’t a stumbling block but, thankfully, it’s not sing-songy either.
Read more from my review of this book here: http://www.themommyjournal.com/archiv...

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, showing 13 works of art from around the world. The author did not choose well known art, instead selecting interesting works that must have appealed to him.

There is a page of text about each work of art and the artist who created it.