Thirty years have passed since Laurence Anholt began his beloved series about great artists and the real children who knew them. Since then, these classic tales about Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci and many other geniuses of Western art have served as a springboard to a love of art and have sold millions of copies worldwide. The stories have been adapted in many forms, including ballet, opera, Braille editions for blind and visually impaired children, and in a major musical in South Korea.

In addition to Anholt's dazzling watercolour illustrations, this anniversary edition includes dozens of high-quality reproductions of the artists' work, adapted biographies for children, and interactive questions for young readers. Each story is faithfully based on historical events and extensive research. In many cases, Anholt visited the artists' homes and studios, followed in their footsteps and interviewed their families. He had private access to Monet's house in Giverny and became close friends with Sylvette David (now Lydia Corbett), Picasso's famous pony-tailed girl.

To make the artists and their worlds accessible to young readers, Anholt employs a unique device: the events are seen through the eyes of a child who actually knew the artist. In this way, readers can connect with the story, and artists who might be inaccessible are humanised. On a subconscious level, the reader absorbs many inspiring values, such as honesty, self-esteem, perseverance, creativity and courage.

Perhaps it is the gentle tone of Anholt's storytelling or her hand-drawn illustrations. Maybe it's her love of children and her passion for the subject. Whatever it is, a whole generation of readers has developed a lifelong love of art through her stories. And now they pass on that precious gift to their own children. The gift of art.

This volume tells the stories of the following artists:Van Goghy the Sunflowers,Frida Kahloy the Bravest Girl in the World,Cézanne and the Boy with the Apple,Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail, Claude Monet's Magic Garden, Tell us a Story, Papa Chagall, Degas and the Little Ballerina, Leonardo and the Flying Boy.

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Publisher: Taschen