The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art by Bob Raczka

There are some children's books that I think please adults more than children. One of those may be The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art by Bob Raczka. I can not imagine many children really caring about this book unless an enthusiastic adult draws them in by sharing it with them. I, however, like it very much.

The premise is that the author interviewed the models in seven of Jan Veermer's paintings to learn how the artist came to paint them and the methods that he employed. The woman in "Woman in Blue Reading a Letter" reveals who sent her a letter. The woman in "Young Woman with a Water Pitcher" explains why there is a map on the wall. The couple in "The Music Lesson" tell us about their relationship. In all of the interviews, we learn about perspective, light, and shadows. Though I have seen these painting many times in books, the interviews directed my eyes to details I had never noticed.

The Veermer Interviews might be a good book to use with art instruction. Otherwise, it is good to just have lying around for discovery by a child or adult with an unplanned afternoon.

Raczka, Bob. The Veermer Interviews: Conversations with Seven Works of Art. Millbrook Press, 2009. ISBN 9780822594024