Asian Art

Book excerpt: ASIAN ART is the twelfth book in the "Come Look With Me" series of art education and appreciation books for children. ASIAN ART highlights twelve masterpieces from South, East, and Southeast Asia, tracing artistic traditions through time and across cultures. From an 11th-century Indian sculpture of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, to the eye-popping "superflat" art of Japan's Takashi Murakami in the 21st century, each piece of art is introduced with a full-page color reproduction. An accompanying page includes a brief biography of the artist, notes on the art form and its symbolism, and/or information about the time period. Questions designed to encourage thoughtful responses to each piece provide points for discussion to develop young readers' greater understanding of art.