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What Adults Don’t Know About Art: Inspiring young minds to love and enjoy art
A fresh perspective on a guide to art for children, exploring its import and meaning through artworks from around the world.
Children are often told that art matters—but the truth is that very often it’s hard to know why it really does. Museum visits can feel like a chore as does having to learn the names of the big artists we’re all meant to love (but perhaps don’t quite in the way we’re supposed to). This is a huge pity because—grasped the right way—art has a deep capacity to improve our lives and offer us a sense of joy and mental well-being.
Here is a guide to art for children with a in a tone that’s kindly, informative, unstuffy, and at times rightly irreverent, this book explains how art can fit into our lives. We learn where the impulse to make art comes from, what art to look at in certain moods, how to go around a museum without getting bored, and why—without even realizing it—we all become experts in art by decorating our first bedrooms.
This is an innovative guide to the importance of art, written in a way that will enchant children and, along the way, teach their favorite adults one or two vital things as well.
Children are often told that art matters—but the truth is that very often it’s hard to know why it really does. Museum visits can feel like a chore as does having to learn the names of the big artists we’re all meant to love (but perhaps don’t quite in the way we’re supposed to). This is a huge pity because—grasped the right way—art has a deep capacity to improve our lives and offer us a sense of joy and mental well-being.
Here is a guide to art for children with a in a tone that’s kindly, informative, unstuffy, and at times rightly irreverent, this book explains how art can fit into our lives. We learn where the impulse to make art comes from, what art to look at in certain moods, how to go around a museum without getting bored, and why—without even realizing it—we all become experts in art by decorating our first bedrooms.
This is an innovative guide to the importance of art, written in a way that will enchant children and, along the way, teach their favorite adults one or two vital things as well.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2020
23 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
The School of Life
171 books3,219 followersThe School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 15, 2022
I am a big fan of the works of The School of Life. I love their books and YouTube videos for making a lot of things related to mental health, relationships, art and architecture more accessible.
I love this book and I wish I had read it when I was in my teens. I have always been taught to look at “Art” as a highbrow thing. A thing for erudite, elite and cultured mind. I have believed that I need put hard work to understand and appreciate it. In that process, I have seen that I have bored the people around. I sometimes become weary by myself. Be it a visit to any popular museum or a documentary movie.
This book dispels that myth and makes art more intimate. It teaches us to put ourselves, our lives and our emotions first and look art thru our lives. It frames it in such a simple and nice way - how do you feel about the posters in your bedroom. It makes us approach art thru that and teaches the “purpose” of art for young minds. I loved the book and I really wish my son picks this up to enrich his life.
If you are curious about art and culture, want to instil that curiosity in your kids or your inner kid, this is an awesome read.
I love this book and I wish I had read it when I was in my teens. I have always been taught to look at “Art” as a highbrow thing. A thing for erudite, elite and cultured mind. I have believed that I need put hard work to understand and appreciate it. In that process, I have seen that I have bored the people around. I sometimes become weary by myself. Be it a visit to any popular museum or a documentary movie.
This book dispels that myth and makes art more intimate. It teaches us to put ourselves, our lives and our emotions first and look art thru our lives. It frames it in such a simple and nice way - how do you feel about the posters in your bedroom. It makes us approach art thru that and teaches the “purpose” of art for young minds. I loved the book and I really wish my son picks this up to enrich his life.
If you are curious about art and culture, want to instil that curiosity in your kids or your inner kid, this is an awesome read.
October 17, 2020
Kind and sweet book, which I, as an adult, found useful and instructive in how to understand formal art, as that's something I've never had. I think for children, which the book is arrived at, it would be even more useful, and I wish I could have had a book like this when I were a child.
October 22, 2021
This book is geared towards children, introducing them to the world of art, and teaching them why art is so important. I love the approach here, and the simple way that the book leads the reader into a better understanding of beautiful art. It begins with a simple question, "What is art, and why is it important to each person?"
I love the philosophy in this book about how art can shape our experiences and our culture, connecting us to our past and reflecting our personal emotions. Art teaches us to focus on the things that are truly important in life; a baby's smile, that particular shade of blue in the sky, the powerful weight of a mountain, or a delicious fruit. The little things in life are the most important and enduring.
Art helps us to remember our past. Even preserving sad memories can give us hope for the future, and art teaches us that. Appreciating great art can give meaning to our lives and help us to explore our own emotions and thoughts in new ways.
This book includes famous works of art as examples of how to look at art, appreciate the details, understand the history, and make sense of your own experiences with art. I read through the pages and stared in complete awe at the gorgeous art from various centuries!
What an absolute delight! I was almost in tears by the end, because I was so moved by this lovely journey through the art world. Suddenly I'm inspired to visit a local art museum and look around me in a whole new way!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I love the philosophy in this book about how art can shape our experiences and our culture, connecting us to our past and reflecting our personal emotions. Art teaches us to focus on the things that are truly important in life; a baby's smile, that particular shade of blue in the sky, the powerful weight of a mountain, or a delicious fruit. The little things in life are the most important and enduring.
Art helps us to remember our past. Even preserving sad memories can give us hope for the future, and art teaches us that. Appreciating great art can give meaning to our lives and help us to explore our own emotions and thoughts in new ways.
This book includes famous works of art as examples of how to look at art, appreciate the details, understand the history, and make sense of your own experiences with art. I read through the pages and stared in complete awe at the gorgeous art from various centuries!
What an absolute delight! I was almost in tears by the end, because I was so moved by this lovely journey through the art world. Suddenly I'm inspired to visit a local art museum and look around me in a whole new way!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
April 28, 2021
Yes, this book is made for children, and I absolutely think children should read this, because it's lovely and wonderful, and will teach them so many helpful things about art and why it's relevant to their lives. But here's the thing: adults should read this too. This is the self-help book that I didn't know I needed, I'm not even sure the book knows it's a self-help book, but oh my, it really is! This book sets out to answer the question "Why is art important?", and it does a marvelous job at doing so. It succeeds at this by making art feel personal; even if the art wasn't made with you in mind, it is still speaking to you, and this book can help you figure out what it's trying to say. I didn't feel like the book was telling me there was only one interpretation, either; in one example, a painting was discussed as having a positive, there's-adventure-ahead! feel, but I don't get that feeling from that painting, it feels contemplative to me, but the tone of the text is so kindly and open, I didn't feel like I should feel my interpretation was wrong (which feels nice at any age, not just to kids). Part of the premise of this book is that not all art will speak to you, or speak in the same way. It's okay not to like a piece of art, even if it's considered important (a tone many art books for adults lack)- look for the art that you like, that's the important thing in appreciating art. I honestly learned more about looking at art objectively from this book than any other book I've read, because it discusses why people who like the examples like them, and now I'll be thinking of that when I look at art- what is it people connect to in this? Another thing I loved about this book was the discussion of how art can help you deal with things in life, difficult emotions, hard times, etc, and how art can provide balance in your life, and appreciate all the wonder and beauty around you. Okay, I admit I'm gushing, but I just really enjoyed this book, and I want my own copy when it comes out (I don't have kids, it will absolutely be for me!). This would be wonderful in the classroom, and I hope teachers will include it in their lesson plans. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I highly recommend it to everyone!
Many thanks to #Edelweiss and #TheSchoolOfLife for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, and I honestly love this book!
Many thanks to #Edelweiss and #TheSchoolOfLife for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, and I honestly love this book!
September 20, 2021
WHAT ADULTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT ART is a YA non-fiction book that sets out to answer the big question: why is art important? It’s one of those questions that is rarely answered, even in prestigious literature on art. Instead, we’re meant to naturally show reverence, which can make the art in question, especially that found in museums and galleries, kind of boring. This book instead teaches us how to lean into what it is we like and the reasons we can have for hanging certain pieces in our bedrooms, such as: remembering, appreciation, hope, sadness, balance, and making sense of money.
The tone of this book is perfect. It’s so inviting, and doesn’t impress upon us the art we should care about. Instead, it helps us make sense of why some art may appeal to us. It is the author’s hope that knowing why art resonates with us will help us to become more engaged with it. Reading this book is like talking to a friend, one who’s casual, smart, and cares. The structure of the text is set up well too, as the most important points on each page are in bigger font, so if anyone wanted to skim through the book for core ideas, they could. There are also a lot of pictures, but the captions for them are at the bottom of the page in smaller font. If the reader is interested in knowing more about the picture, the information is right there on the page, but it’s also not necessary to read for the context of the book. In other words, it’s almost a pick-your-own-adventure type of format.
As someone who has been to many museums and was more overwhelmed there than inspired, I love the message of this book. It’s not just useful for consumers, but also for creators, so we can think about these different ways art can serve or evoke people. In many ways, WHAT ADULTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT ART is an invitation to reframe how we think about art and to have a bit of fun with it! I highly recommend this book for everyone who has ever hung up a picture.
Review originally published on YA Books Central: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonf...
The tone of this book is perfect. It’s so inviting, and doesn’t impress upon us the art we should care about. Instead, it helps us make sense of why some art may appeal to us. It is the author’s hope that knowing why art resonates with us will help us to become more engaged with it. Reading this book is like talking to a friend, one who’s casual, smart, and cares. The structure of the text is set up well too, as the most important points on each page are in bigger font, so if anyone wanted to skim through the book for core ideas, they could. There are also a lot of pictures, but the captions for them are at the bottom of the page in smaller font. If the reader is interested in knowing more about the picture, the information is right there on the page, but it’s also not necessary to read for the context of the book. In other words, it’s almost a pick-your-own-adventure type of format.
As someone who has been to many museums and was more overwhelmed there than inspired, I love the message of this book. It’s not just useful for consumers, but also for creators, so we can think about these different ways art can serve or evoke people. In many ways, WHAT ADULTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT ART is an invitation to reframe how we think about art and to have a bit of fun with it! I highly recommend this book for everyone who has ever hung up a picture.
Review originally published on YA Books Central: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonf...
July 24, 2021
"what are we saying is that art doesnt really belong in art galleries at all. it really belongs to your life" 🌱
such a great intro!!! generally about art!!! this is probably targeted to young teenagers but even as an adult, i absolutely enjoyed reading this in one sitting and its pretty engaging with some real art histories included to give quite a strong point about why art matters and why its important; how it improves our lives and offer us a sense of joy and mental well-being.
i might be honest that this might be a little bit of a bias review bc i actually love almost anything by the school of life. 😍 i guess its just the way of how they convey its intention & message across their books - simple yet makes one think a lot.
highly recommend if youre inclined to the arts as this is something that you will enjoy reading 😍 and its time to spread the love of art to people around us!!! 🥰
such a great intro!!! generally about art!!! this is probably targeted to young teenagers but even as an adult, i absolutely enjoyed reading this in one sitting and its pretty engaging with some real art histories included to give quite a strong point about why art matters and why its important; how it improves our lives and offer us a sense of joy and mental well-being.
i might be honest that this might be a little bit of a bias review bc i actually love almost anything by the school of life. 😍 i guess its just the way of how they convey its intention & message across their books - simple yet makes one think a lot.
highly recommend if youre inclined to the arts as this is something that you will enjoy reading 😍 and its time to spread the love of art to people around us!!! 🥰
September 14, 2021
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G
Most books about art talk about pieces of art or artists, listing a bunch of facts you don’t really care about. That is not this book. The School of Life wants to help you answer the real question: why art is important?
I have a minor in art history, and I learned so much reading this book. The School of Life articulates the importance of art in a simple way that helps readers understand how and why they make connections with works of art. Of course there is a little bit of discussion about pieces of art and artists, but these facts are part of a conversation and not a boring textbook lecture. This is a non-fiction book that I will actually want to reread because I like it, not because I forgot all the information. The mature content rating is for some nude figures in art shown.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Most books about art talk about pieces of art or artists, listing a bunch of facts you don’t really care about. That is not this book. The School of Life wants to help you answer the real question: why art is important?
I have a minor in art history, and I learned so much reading this book. The School of Life articulates the importance of art in a simple way that helps readers understand how and why they make connections with works of art. Of course there is a little bit of discussion about pieces of art and artists, but these facts are part of a conversation and not a boring textbook lecture. This is a non-fiction book that I will actually want to reread because I like it, not because I forgot all the information. The mature content rating is for some nude figures in art shown.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
July 20, 2023
I’ve always been a HUGE fan of School of Life books and videos. I bought this book to give to my niece when she’s a little bit older.
I loved that it gives children a digestible intro to art history in a way that is easy to read, fun and exciting.
What bugged me about this book was that is ascribed certain traits and feelings to works of art that I personally didn’t agree with. For example, it described Cy Twombly as “happy”. I think the book would be more effective if it allowed for multiple ways that one painting can make different audiences feel, or allow the child reading the book to decide that for themself. I feel that art, especially when presented for young minds, should be about the viewer deciding the mood, tone and feelings emitted from a work, rather than that info being told to them.
I loved that it gives children a digestible intro to art history in a way that is easy to read, fun and exciting.
What bugged me about this book was that is ascribed certain traits and feelings to works of art that I personally didn’t agree with. For example, it described Cy Twombly as “happy”. I think the book would be more effective if it allowed for multiple ways that one painting can make different audiences feel, or allow the child reading the book to decide that for themself. I feel that art, especially when presented for young minds, should be about the viewer deciding the mood, tone and feelings emitted from a work, rather than that info being told to them.
July 27, 2023
Entertaining: 7/10
Transformative: 7/10
One kid: Why do we go to the art museum? All you do is walk around.
Second kid: It's the same with the Air Show for me
The book: "When you appreciate something, it's the opposite of finding it boring."
This a fun find we picked up at my favorite local art museum in Wisconsin. It was written for kids, but adults could use a good dose of it too. It puts wonder and awe alongside balance and hope as answers to the question "how does art work?"
The only addendum I would make to the book is this: You were made by a Creator who makes beautiful things so you too, are inclined to make and enjoy beautiful things.
Transformative: 7/10
One kid: Why do we go to the art museum? All you do is walk around.
Second kid: It's the same with the Air Show for me
The book: "When you appreciate something, it's the opposite of finding it boring."
This a fun find we picked up at my favorite local art museum in Wisconsin. It was written for kids, but adults could use a good dose of it too. It puts wonder and awe alongside balance and hope as answers to the question "how does art work?"
The only addendum I would make to the book is this: You were made by a Creator who makes beautiful things so you too, are inclined to make and enjoy beautiful things.
January 12, 2023
"Art is a tool for reminding us about soul-stuff."
Good explanations for a Science-Art balance brain like me. While to see design of thing as art for life, there are several aspects I would have never known about. So this book is the answer.
Life can be more enjoyable though the eyes looking at art and understand what the message it conveys.
Good explanations for a Science-Art balance brain like me. While to see design of thing as art for life, there are several aspects I would have never known about. So this book is the answer.
Life can be more enjoyable though the eyes looking at art and understand what the message it conveys.
April 10, 2023
Picked up this book and was pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed it. It’s a great book to introduce kids to thinking about and enjoying art. My kids ages 6-12 all enjoyed and got different things out of it and they often made their own art inspired by the topic being discussed while being read to. Great for homeschoolers.
December 31, 2025
Another beautifully written book. It is intended for kids but I think it is good for adults too. The main message is that art should not be good only for museum, but for your private life. Put paintings in your bedroom, decorate your room or your house so that it looks meaningful. Be opinionated, learn to observe and draw.
January 8, 2021
This book is a fantastic introduction to the ideas and philosophy of art and artists. I enjoyed it as an adult but think it is essential reading for anyone wanting to think and know more about art and artists.
December 21, 2021
This book is an absolute treasure. Perfectly written for youngsters but deep, moving and beautifully ponderous on why art is important and what it means to the viewer and what it can teach us along the way.
May 23, 2022
Very simple-to-read book and definitely suitable for teenagers. Interesting and simple perspectives on art that we may forget sometimes as adults
July 11, 2023
Fun and to the point.
November 8, 2023
Personally this book explains the reason behind my habit of collecting postcard from galleries/exhibitions. An easy to read book and somewhat calming in some parts.
December 23, 2023
I read this book to my four year old son who loved it. We will read it again when he is older.
April 19, 2024
Really interesting read
September 27, 2024
Excellent book. The writing style reminded me a bit of The Little Prince.
December 24, 2025
even as an adult who studied art history and theory, this read was a joyful one. this book made going back to the basics fun!
January 26, 2021
I confess I don’t really know much about art. I thought this book would be useful,and yes I know it is for kids, and it was useful. Clear and visual and to the point. And delightful. What’s not to like? It also explains my collection of art postcards from galleries and museums around the world! So I learnt something about myself as well as art. You’re never too old to learn.
April 11, 2022
Teprvě nyní jsem zjistila, proč je umění důležité pro MĚ. Teoretické znalosti mám slušné z dříve přečtených knih, ale teprve teď začínám chápat, jak je můžu efektivně využít. Už se nebudu tolik ptát, co tím chtěl autor (ve své době) říct, ale jak jeho dílo Teď promlouvá ke Mně. https://milyctenarskydenicku.blogspot...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews