So, my daughter had to pick a book about an art movement for her art class, and she chose this one on Impressionism. I was a little worried she'd be bored out of her mind, but she actually seemed to like it. She kept pointing out different painting techniques she recognized from the book, like the short brushstrokes and how they captured light. She even started trying to paint like Monet, which was a nice change from slime making.
She read it over a few evenings, and I didn't hear any complaints, which is always a good sign. The book has lots of pictures of famous Impressionist paintings, which I think helped keep her engaged. She did ask me a couple of times to explain some of the historical context, like why the Impressionists were considered so revolutionary at the time, but overall, she seemed to understand the main points. There's a fair amount of information packed in there, but it's broken down well, so it's not overwhelming.
The book is an AR level of 6.5 and worth 1 AR point, so it was a pretty easy read for my middle schooler. It felt just the right length too. Not so long that she lost interest, but enough to give her a decent understanding of the movement. I don't think I'd recommend it to a younger kid, maybe 4th grade and up, just because of the vocabulary and some of the art concepts.
If your kid is already interested in art or needs to do a report on Impressionism, this is a solid choice. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it's informative and well-organized. I wouldn't recommend it as a casual read for a kid who hates non-fiction though. But if they're even mildly curious about Monet and Renoir, this could be a good way to spark their interest.