Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. Like I Spy: An Alphabet in Art0 (1992) 0 and I Spy: Numbers in Art 0 (1993) Micklethwait's latest title uses stunning reproductions of artworks to introduce elemental concepts. Here, the focus is on shapes. Preschoolers will be able to search for ovals, squares, hearts, and more within large, sharp images of famous art, such as Henri Matisse's paper collage The Snail0 and Paul Klee's painting Around the Fish, 0 which are set against glossy white pages. The text is just a few boldface words per page: "I spy with my little eye a rectangle." The concept may be simplicity itself, but children will want to return again and again to the inviting pages, where they can point out everything else that they "spy" within the richly detailed images. Language arts teachers may also want to use this with older children as a springboard for story-writing exercises. A handsome offering with appeal to a wide age group. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Shape recognition and fine art once again intersect in Lucy Micklethwait's I Spy Shapes in Art. Of her earlier title, I Spy: An Alphabet in Art, PW wrote in a starred review, "Micklethwait has fashioned a remarkably rich investigation into the pleasures of looking at paintings." Here she demonstrates different shapes by highlighting 14 pieces of art from the likes of Matisse, O'Keeffe and Warhol (a Campbell's soup can illustrates "a cylinder"). While the "answer" is never difficult, the works often feature numerous shapes, leaving room for further exploration. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Micklethwait's contributions to the literature of art appreciation for children are many; here she uses the "I Spy" format to encourage youngsters to seek out particular shapes in reproductions of paintings. The 19th- and 20th-century works are mostly European and American in origin. Georgia O'Keeffe, Henri Matisse, M. C. Escher, and Andy Warhol are among the artists represented. A colorful, clean design is coupled with a large font, making this a book that new readers will be able to enjoy independently. Captions with titles and artists are provided below the text. A list of locations and dates of the paintings is appended. The author's foreword suggests simple ideas for using this vibrant volume. Like Bob Raczka's More Than Meets the Eye (Millbrook, 2003), this is a welcome introduction to visual literacy for the youngest clientele.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Searching for shapes in a painting (""I spy / with my little eye / a cylinder"" in a Warhol soup can painting) is less a game of find-the-shape than a method for getting readers to look carefully at fourteen pieces of art. The brief text and large typeface imply a young audience and invite readers to delve deeper into investigating art. Source notes included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Another splendid addition to Micklethwait's I Spy series that seeks to introduce young readers to fine art. A foreword cheerily instructs adults in the use of the work: "Look for the shape I have chosen . . . Talk about them, count them, compare them. . . . Some children might like to make up a story. . . . Anything goes. Just one of these activities allows enough time for a picture to be filed away in a child's memory, and that is what this book is all about." With that liberating encouragement, the readers are then let loose to find a square in a Kandinsky, an oval in a Klee, a cone in a Magritte. All but one piece (a Homer) is from the 20th century, the geometric focus lending itself beautifully to an introduction to some of the more challenging schools of modern art. Each painting or drawing richly rewards the examination prompted by the simple instruction to "spy"; children--and adults--who take the author up on her invitation will come away with a deeper appreciation for art. Includes list of works and where they might be found. (Picture book/nonfiction. 3+) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
