THE ART HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART 1 is a picture book illustrated by the author that gives a brief and somewhat whimsical overview of the art of the Mediterranean, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, plus that of the Indus culture, Persia, and China. It is not intended to fully explain these developments but to give children, and perhaps adults, a taste for art history.

Sibyl Haynes studied art at the Parsons School of Design in Paris and received a BFA in painting in 1989. She has a loose but focused view of art history and believes that children have not been sufficiently exposed to ancient, or any, art. She believes that it is important for some children to learn about art since it might become their calling, just as she herself was exposed in fourth grade by a memorable teacher to most of the art covered in this picture book...