The Great Big Book of Museums
A visit to 13 spectacular museums from around the world
by Éva Bensard
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Oct 14 2025 | Archive Date Oct 21 2025
Publisher Spotlight | Red Comet Press
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Description
From Bilbao to Beijing, from New York to the Netherlands, explore the wonders of 13 extraordinary museums in this “great big” oversized book for readers 8 to 108. Whether you’re visiting Mexico City’s Frida Kahlo Museum, Paris’s treasured Louvre, or New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, you’ll be accompanied by the very best guides: curators, architects, landscape designers, artists . . . but also some more unexpected guests, like the beloved cats of St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, or the guardian of Rome’s Vatican Museums who carries hundreds of keys while making his rounds through the Sistine Chapel and beyond!
Each of the 13 museums is splashed across two colorful double-page spreads: the first is a vivacious illustration of the museum's architecture by the French artist Benjamin Chaud, bursting with quirky details and inside jokes. A second spread gives life to each museum with abundant, charming illustrations and fascinating, fact-filled captions of history, mystery, and more. This beautiful book by French author Éva Bensard bubbles over with world-renowned masterpieces; a glimpse into the lives and works of dozens of artists, scientists, and other luminaries; intriguing portraits of expert employees; and insider tips for visitors . . . museums have never seemed so vibrant and exciting.
The featured museums include:
- The Vatican Museums (Rome, Italy)
- The Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., United States)
- The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)
- The Mucem (Marseille, France)
- The Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
- The Louvre (Paris, France)
- The Oceanographic Museum (Monaco)
- The State Hermitage (St. Petersburg, Russia)
- The Palace Museum (Beijing, China)
- The National Museum of Fine Arts (Algiers, Algeria)
- The Frida Kahlo Museum (Mexico City, Mexico)
- The American Museum of Natural History (New York, United States)
- The Quai Branly Museum (Paris, France)
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781636551524 |
| PRICE | $26.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 60 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 29 members
Featured Reviews
Elizabeth K, Educator
incredible book filled with wonderful illustrations that can transport anyone to any museum at any time. I loved how part of the buildings were missing for an "x-ray" feel into the museum. Informative and thoughtful!
Christine L, Educator
An introduction to 13 of the world's most famous museums for kids. I loved how informative this was and not just about what was in the museums. It had the perfect combination of history, fun facts, and info about exhibits.
The main thing I would note is that it felt like the writing was small. Maybe it was just my digital copy (although I don't think so), but I think it would have been better for the two pages after the intro to the museum to be spread out more. Like instead of a display across two pages, maybe 3 or even 4 pages with bigger pictures and bigger font. It was just a lot to take in as an adult, and I could see it being a lot for kids.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a wonderful informative text that provides a look at museums all over the world. The illustrations are playful but depict detailed scenes and artifacts with accuracy. I especially appreciated the world map reference shown for each museum to show where it is exactly located in the world. It was also nice to see a whole page spread dedicated to each museum structure to get a sense of the surroundings and its grounds. The information is organized wonderfully so as to not overwhelm the reader. You can even find details that would be helpful to children visiting these museums in the future, such as, what days they are closed and the strict dress code at the Vatican Museum in Rome. I highly recommend this as a reference material for your library.
Thank you to the publisher, author, illustrator, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.
Bookseller 1524220
This is an incredible book for children to learn about art and history. The illustrations are very well done and I enjoy just looking at the pages of the museums too see all the different people and the clues they added! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
This reminds me of the books I just to pick up from that one part of the kids section in Barnes & Noble in 2001. Where the books were informative but fun, and you could flip through the pages again and again.
Reviewer 782155
This is a super neat book that will introduce kids to the world of museums. It has a great mixture of illustrations and information chunked into bite sized nuggets. This will definitely get them interested in wanting to travel and visit!
I love the illustration style and information included in this book! A fun look at the museums and art across the world and the people who make it possible to visit . I think it’s geared more towards kindergarten or older aged kids (my 3yr old lost interest easily). Would be a great resource in preparation for a museum visit .
Reviewer 1106878
A very thoughtful and creative introduction to 13 museums around the world. The book explores the origins of each museum, some highlights of that museum's collection, and information about the city/country where that museum is located. I enjoyed the stories about the different jobs that help keep museums running.
The text was very small in the digital edition and there were some digital artifacts that looked like smudges on some paragraphs. This made it harder to read. But this may not be an issue with the physical edition. Some sections were also a little repetitive.
The illustrations were wonderful. I do wish that there were better depictions of some of the artworks, like Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe prints, but overall it is a really fun book for kids!
Victoria C, Librarian
This is a great illustrated book of all the museums and the exhibits/works of art. I loved that all the works of art only had a little bit of information. The amount of information was just enough to allow a younger audience to read the book as well.
The book was VERY informative and would be perfect for a history nerd! The pictures were very detailed and colorful. I felt like I learned a lot at the age of 29. This could almost work as a bucket list for those that love to visit museums, like me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Éva Bensard, and Publisher Spotlight for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
Heather S, Reviewer
As a former art teacher, my first thought while reading this book was how perfect it would be for a classroom library, especially for students who finish their work early. I read it in a digital format, and the text felt a little small on the screen, so I’m curious to see what the print version looks like. That said, I really liked the way the pages were laid out and the choice of font—it makes the book easy to follow.
The bits of information throughout were engaging, and the illustrations added a lot to the overall reading pleasure. I do want to mention that the book includes some nudity. It’s nothing beyond what you’d expect to see in an art museum, and the illustrations are cartoon-like in style, but it’s something to keep in mind, especially for teachers in states with stricter book review policies, like Florida.
I was given a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wonderful illustration for each of the museums the book covers. I think I would have preferred a hard copy over the Kindle version though one can zoom in on the pictures which is very nice. Any person (children or adult ) would love this book!
Beautifully illustrated book full of information and fun facts about a variety of museums around the world! The information is presented in small chunks and neatly organized with headings, making it easy for young (and older) readers to jump from place to place without feeling overwhelmed. The text is very small when viewed in the browser full-screen on my laptop, but I'm guessing it will be easier on the eyes in the physical book since the book is described as "oversized."
I especially love how each museum page includes a "behind the scenes" blurb about one of the staff members. It really humanizes these institutions and the people who maintain the facilities and collections or conduct research there. I fully agree with the publisher's blurb describing this book as fit for "readers 8 to 108" as it should be a fun read for all, but I could see the prime audience being ages ~8-18.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.
I love this book! What a cool look at some of the world's most famous museums. The full page illustration of the museum's exterior followed by highlights of the most popular exhibits is very aesthetically pleasing. And the illustrations in general are nostalgic for me. Maybe a combo of Richard Scarry and Where's Waldo? I love it all!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a wonderful book. The pictures are absolutely amazing! This book is such a wonderful glimpse into some of the world's best museums!
Great variety of museums represented. Adorable illustrations, with lots to see close up. Would be great for curious children and those about to do some travelling!
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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