JOIN USArty treat for young kids
It is not often that one finds books about art for children. Even rarer is the one that holds the child’s interest for more than two pages. Duckbill’s latest addition to their ‘In the 10s’ series is both — a deliciously browsable book on art for 10+ children, that not only manages to be “not boring at all” (according to my eight-year-old) but also has enough material to inspire the curious to undertake deeper explorations.
Written by Mamta Nainy, ‘10 Indian Art Mysteries That Have Never Been Solved’ takes the reader all over India — from the Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh (what do the riddles hide?) to Kailasanatha temple in Ellora (why was it built from the top to bottom?) to a small hamlet of Guler in Himachal Pradesh (where lived a master miniature painter).
The language has been kept simple and the pace quick. The best aspect of the book is the way the author has managed to weave in a bit of art history in every chapter along with easy-to-understand explanations about the use of pigments and colours, which actually makes it an interesting read for adults too. Particularly good are the chapters on the ‘Indian yellow’ colour and the one that describes one of the greatest art heists in southern India. Each chapter ends with an arty challenge.