Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A variety of artistic expressions invite young readers to re-examine paintings they may take for granted or that might once have intimidated them. Art Is by Bob Raczka pairs a simple rhyming text with a wide range of artwork designed to expand readers' appreciation of what constitutes art. For example, "Art is to kneel on" depicts an Anatolian prayer rug, while "Art is pasted" accompanies a Romare Bearden collage. The final page pairs "Art is how artists get you to think" with an image of Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker." A simple design puts the intriguing images front and center, and for museumgoers, the home of each work is listed. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 5-Raczka introduces more than two dozen famous artworks from various time periods and mediums through quality photographs. His selections are as diverse as a Greek vase, a Bridget Riley Op Art painting, an African mask, a Romare Bearden collage, a Louis Comfort Tiffany lamp, and a Pablo Picasso sculpture, allowing children to compare and contrast these famous pieces and broaden their definition of art. While the text and concepts are appropriate for young children and new readers, the quality of the works depicted makes the book suitable for older readers as well. The eclectic collection is woven together with simple rhyming couplets: "Art is a wall" (Lascaux cave paintings), "Art is a frame holding nothing at all" (Eva Hesse's Hang Up), "Art is an island surrounded by pink" (Christo Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude de Guillebon's Surrounded Islands), "Art is how artists get you to think" (Auguste Rodin's The Thinker). Similar in format to Raczka's No One Saw: Ordinary Things through the Eyes of an Artist (Millbrook, 2002), this volume also contains endnotes giving brief facts about each work and/or the artist who created it. An interesting look at the forms art can take.-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA (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
This admirable introduction to art appreciation uses an unobtrusive rhyming text to present and unify twenty-seven works of art, from the Lascaux cave paintings (Art is a wall) to Eva Hesse's Hang Up (Art is a frame holding nothing at all). The clean, simple design and beautifully printed reproductions enhance the presentation; useful age-appropriate notes provide context. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
