Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Look! lies somewhere in between Bob Raczka's No One Saw (Millbrook, 2002) and Antony Mason's A History of Western Art (Abrams, 2007). Each spread introduces a different technique, such as "strong lines" and "leafy lines" and shows a work of fine art demonstrating it, reproduced with clarity and in full color. Occasionally, the text defines artistic techniques, such as perspective and shading. Each spread has kid-friendly ideas for making one's own creations; the suggestions range from simple (breathing on a windowpane and drawing a line with your finger) to intricate (designing a bridge). There is a wide range of dates for the art featured, beginning in the 1600s and ending in 2003. The text describes how each piece was created and includes some anecdotal stories about the artist and the work. However, it can be puzzling: for instance, in a scene depicting Jesus praying while Judas and his soldiers advance to arrest him, the first line of text reads, "What an astonishing landscape!" Ultimately, however, this is an accessible introduction to art history. A concluding section gives a bit more information about the artist next to a small reproduction of the featured art.-Laura Lutz, Queens Borough Public Library, NY (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 Kirkus Book Review
Gorgeous reproductions are forced to work within a detrimentally narrow concept. In child-friendly language, Wolfe visually analyzes 18 pieces of fine art, adding exercises and some history. An invitation to "draw on anythingpaper, wood, fabric, leather, china, glass, mirror, metal, shells, stones, paving and walls" is inspiring. Unfortunately, the overall premiseexamining lines in artis too confining. The text also explores color, texture, composition and mediaall relevant, but chafing under restrictive titles like "delicate lines" or "solid lines." Some terms are misused: e.g., "sketch lines" (calling a delicate drawing a sketch despite its fine, neat lines) and "doodle lines" (a Paul Klee painting isn't a doodle no matter how casual it looks). Matisse collages feature shapes, not "cut-out lines," which would describe only edges without interiors. The author invents technically meaningless terms that describe content rather than form ("leafy lines," "construction lines"). However, art selection (Picasso, Hockney, Rembrandt, van Gogh) is excellent (notable exception: Rousseau's racially inappropriate Tropical LandscapeAn American Indian Struggling with an Ape), and readers will savor the striking artwork. (index, art reference) (Nonfiction. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
