One of my very favorite things to do is walk around a museum. There's something special about being surrounded by paintings, sculptures, and objects and just getting to wander and take it all in. There are some amazing local museums, including our own Nelson Attic, but if you want to recreate the experience of visiting a museum from the comfort of your own bedroom -- here are some books that will take you there.
Written by Alice Harman
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
London: Thames & Hudson, 2023. Informational. 95 pgs.
If you're going to visit a museum from your bedroom, you might as well start with the most famous museum in the world -- and home to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa -- Paris' Louvre Museum. Mona Lisa herself is on hand to introduce readers to the Louvre before passing the mic to other masterpieces who are all eager to say why they are the museum's real treasure. The result is an engaging book with lots of facts and crisp reproductions of fine art. This is a great book to prepare kids for a visit to an art museum and prompts critical thinking about the masterpieces they'll see.
Written by Victoria England
Illustrated by Tom Froese
Lincoln, MA: Nosy Crow, 2024. Informational.
As much as I love art galleries, the thing that first made me fall in love with museums was seeing the Egyptian mummies at the British Museum when I was a little kid. I was fascinated by Egyptian mythology and culture and loved seeing the artifacts. This picture book, in collaboration with the British Museum, is filled with interesting facts about mummies, the mummification process, and the often scandalous business of exhuming mummies to display them in collections.
By Kaitlyn Duling
Greensboro, NC : Rourke Educational Media, 2022. Informational.
Don't forget that a good museum is really just an awesome collection -- and collections come in all shapes and sizes. This book pays homage to some of those collections all around the world. Featuring famous museum's like Paris' Louvre and Cairo's Egyptian Museum and less well known museums like the Neon Museum in Las Vegas and the Museum of Toilet's in Delhi. This book even delves into the often shady practice of museum acquisitions.
By Ferren Gipson
New York: Phaidon Press, 2021. Informational. 231 pgs.
If you were to truly visit an art museum from your armchair, this impressively comprehensive guide is where you should turn. Set up with wings and galleries and a floor plan like a real museum, this compilation of art through human history is a visual smorgasbord. Cultural context and information about important works and creators makes for an incredibly informative read. Includes prompts, activities, and questions for further deep thinking.
Written by Susannah Bailey
Illustrated by Nia Gould
London: LOM Art, 2021. Informational.
While you're on your museum tour, be sure you don't skip the modern art galleries -- this book will make sure you appreciate them to their fullest. In this cheerful introduction to the major art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, animals will be your guides. Each section informs readers of the characteristics and major artists of each movement with renderings of classic paintings altered to include animals. Visually interesting and informative.
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