The Little Velasquez - "Colour and Learn with... / Colour Zen" Range by Catherine De Duve (Happy Museum)

It's a delight to see that there are fantastic ranges of books that help children develop an appreciation of art from an early age. As most artists will tell you, often drawing or painting things is a great way to learn about colour, light and shade and how to develop your own art skills - as well as falling in love with the world of art and the fascinating artists who have painted the greatest works of art on the planet.

In "The Little Velasquez", part of the Colour Zen / Colour and Learn With... range by Catherine De Duve, Children are encouraged to learn about the life and works of Velasquez through exploration of some of his most famous portraits. The book's format is almost pocket sized, making it perfect for tucking into a bag or satchel when your little ones are off to visit relatives, or off for a day out on the train when colouring and activity books are worth their weight in gold.

Catherine's fab range always includes lots of facts and figures about each painter, so children will be encouraged to learn more about Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (phew, that's a mouthful!) and his incredible gift for realistic portraiture.

Charlotte's best bit: The "funny" portrait of Phillip IV in his armour

Daddy's Favourite bit: A detailed and interesting activity book based around one of the most incredible artists of the Spanish "Golden Age" - a great jumping off point for kids who want to learn more about art and artists through impressive colouring and activity ideas.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Happy Museum Publishing)