Why do we need art? What do we gain by being creative?

A highly topical look at the role of art and the importance of creativity in our lives and the wider world.

Art, in its widest sense, encompasses many different forms, from painting and poetry to dance, pottery and quilting and much else besides. Creativity is an essential part of what makes us human as well as being crucial for a range of disciplines in the world of work, including science, architecture and technological innovation.

This book asks many questions relating to the importance of art in our lives, such as where is art and where does the impulse to make art come from? Who are artists? What is art for? Can art change anything? What use is the imagination and what is the point of daydreaming? It includes pieces from a range of contributors, including Kate Clanchy, Lemn Sissay, Preti Taneja and Andria Zafirakou, who write about their relationship with art and describe what being creative means to them and to others.

Aimed at young people aged 10 and upwards.

Part of the groundbreaking and important 'And Other Big Questions' series, which offers balanced and considered views on the big issues we face in the world we live in today.

About the Authors

Michael Rosen held the post of Children's Laureate from 2007-2009. He is one of the best-known figures in the children's book world, renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. As an author and by selecting other writers' works for anthologies he has been involved with over 140 books.

Annemarie Young is a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children, and an editorial consultant for children's books and primary education. She was a publisher for many years and has worked with hundreds of children's authors and illustrators. She has lived and travelled all over the world, from Australia to Southeast Asia, Egypt and Europe, and she now lives in Cambridge.