Reviews (2)

Great!
My 10 year old daughter chose this book, and she loves it! The author's review is very accurate. Kids of different skill levels of drawing will enjoy this book and get a lot out of it. Mine is not an artistically "gifted" child - but she is happy with her new ability to make her drawings look like horses! Children who love to draw and will spend a lot of time on a drawing will appreciate ALL the wonderful tips and hints to draw and style the horses. The format is friendly - and even if she doesn't "do" all the details herself (the different braided manes, pairings of horses etc) mine LOVES looking at the pictures and having the simple and clear explanations. Highly reccomended!

Finally, a "Drawing Horses" book for young skill levels!
Hi, I'm the author, and I wanted to share with you why I wrote this book. All the "drawing horses" books I've ever seen are full of great looking pictures of horses. The drawings would look fantastic in an art class or museum. However, it's tough for kids to draw at that level, and it can be very discouraging. I know, because I've been teaching cartooning and art classes for children for many years.
So, I applied the simple, common-sense techniques I developed as a cartoonist and teacher, and came up with "Drawing Horses That Look Real." There are step-by-step instructions from muzzle to tail, and my special cartooning secrets are outlined in a fun format that kids can master quickly. The book speaks directly to the reader, and nothing is left to chance. Most of all, the level of drawing is just right for kids, and can be enjoyed by anyone with patience and practice! I hope that many kids who love these fine animals will also love my book. ... Read more

Book Description

"Written for the youngest audience...the text is very simple yet manages to convey all the major events in Liberty's creation....The full-color watercolors show amazing detail and are extremely rich."--Horn Book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lovely story of Lady Liberty
I also use this book in my classroom and third graders love it. They are fascinated with the size and grandeur of the Statue of Liberty. This book tells the history of the Statue in simple text and large, vivid illustrations. (Did you know that he made it to look like his mother?) I recommend this book for 7-9 year olds. It will expand their horizons and leave them hoping that someday they will see the Statue in person.

Wonderful Story
My 2 year old is facinated with the Statue of Liberty. So before we visited her in person, I wanted to find a simple worded book with lots of captivating pictures and found this one. It really does an excellent job of telling the story of how America obtained Lady Liberty. We would highly recommend this book to any American Patriot!!

Statue of Liberty
The text and especially the illustrations in this book were just what I needed to explain to my kindergarten students what it would be like to visit the Statue of Liberty. The illustrator shows an aerial view of the statue on Liberty Island, the ferry needed to reach the island, and New York City in the far background. He continues with pictures showing the construction of the statue to the impressive fire works celebration on the Fourth of July. The author explains the building of the statue as well as the purpose. If you had only one book to explain the Statue of Liberty to school age children, I would recommend using "The Story of the Statue of Liberty" by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Giulio Maestro. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A superb introduction to the life and art of Claude Monet
I find it hard to believe this book was written for young children, because I sure learned a lot. Written and illustrated by Mike Venezia, "Monet" is part of the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series. I am not alone in having Monet as my favorite Impressionist artist, but I could never really explain why until I read this book and several others about his art. The paintings by Monet are included to illustrate specific aspects of his artistic style, so "The House of Parliament at Sunset" is presented as an example of his love of the way colors reflect in water. A detail from "The Cliff Walk Pourville" is enlarged to show how he used colorful brush strokes to great effect. Young readers will learn not only about Monet as an artist but about impressionist art; after all, the term "impressionists" came from Monet's 1872 painting, "Impression: Sunrise." Venezia also talks about the fascinating details of the artistic process; Monet believed in painting outside, which was made easier when artist were able to buy paint in tubes. Not all of the paintings in this book are by Monet; there are paintings OF Monet by Renoir and Manet. There are also cartoons by Venezia detailing important parts of Monet's life as they relate to his artwork. I was also impressed by the inclusion of some of the caricatures Monet sketched of people as a teenager. Venezia provides an excellent introduction to Monet's art, even if you are old enough to have children in the target audience. For the next step in your art education regarding Monet you should check out "What Makes a Monet a Monet?" by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Monet - worth the Mo-ney!
I read this book and used it for an Art lesson. Venezia took a mature subject and made it easy to introduce to children. It is a great teacher-source for incorporating Art across your curriculum.

Great for introducing Monet
I used this book to introduce a group of preschoolers to Monet and Impressionism and they loved it. It's not difficult for them to understand, and it's not too long to read while keeping their attention.

The art lesson for the child in everyone.
Mike Venezia knows how to introduce an artist. Along with background information and an excellent selection of the artists most well-known works, Venezia treats the reader to his humorous and sometimes offbeat cartoons. These books, however, are no joke. They incorporate art history, concepts, and appreciation. Like potato chips, you can't own just one, you have to buy the set. Be sure to read the little Author/Illustrator notation on the back cover for a final chuckle.

Fine art, biography and humor bring Monet's work to life
Monet's life and work come to life with Venezia's sense of humor. Many color reproductions of Monet's work contrast Venezia's silly cartoons, which appeal to children. Adults enjoy and learn here also. ... Read more

Book Description

Few subjects have more immediate appeal to children than animals, and few methods of teaching youngsters to appreciate fine art have proven more successful than those of art educator Gladys S. Blizzard.In COME LOOK WITH ME: Animals in Art, the third volume of her series of interactive art books, she makes the most of children’s natural curiosity about animals to introduce them not only to twelve magnificent works of art, but also to a whole new way of encountering art.Using an approach which is as fun as it is effective, the author deftly guides her young audience toward their own understanding of and delight in the world of art.

The works featured in Animals in Art represent a variety of styles which youngsters will encounter again in museums and in books: the muscular realism of Rosa Bonheur’s The Horse Fair, the delicate romanticism of Martin Johnson Heade’s Cattleya Orchid and Tree Brazilian Hummingbirds, and the bold abstraction of Henri Matisse’s The Snail.They also represent an intriguing menagerie of beasts, from the mysterious deer and horses stampeding across the wall of Lascaux cave to Paul Klee’s whimsical heart –nosed cat dreaming of a bird.

Each work of art is accompanied by a brief biographical sketch of the artist and a series of open-ended questions designed to encourage discussion.Through her thought-provoking text, Mrs. Blizzard encourages children to imagine themselves in the paintings: striding among the solemn-eyed creatures in Edward Hick’s The Peaceable Kingdom, setting out on a voyage aboard Roy DeForest’s fantastical Canoe of Fate.In each work of art, children will discover the rewards of looking closely to find the details that bring a painting to life.

Whether enjoyed in a family or a classroom setting, COME LOOK WITH ME: Animals in Art offers art lovers of all ages the perfect way to celebrate what Gladys Blizzard calls "the pleasure of shared experience and to nurture a lifelong appreciations for the visual arts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb intro to the life and style of Degas
I used this book, along with the other's by Boutan, in my classroom in a huge unit on artists and their works. These book set each artist apart from each other with interesting details that you can't find in an average book. It makes it very easy for the children to pick out the artist's other works and a greater understanding and appreciation is achieved when the children try the techniques with the products enclosed! Learning and Fun! A+! ... Read more

Book Description

In this innovative new series, readers will learn about four of the world's best known artists--Monet, Matisse, Cezanne, and Van Gogh--and they'll also get activity ideas that will inspire them to create their own masterpieces.

Each Art Activity Pack comes with a paperback book about the artist and focuses on one of the concepts behind his work. In addition, the Cezanne, Monet and Van Gogh Packs include an art activity book and a poster to color. The Matisse Pack includes stencils and brightly colored paper young artists can cut to create their own collages. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essentail for those sharing the world of art with children
Just like Boutan's other books, she does a wonderful job introducing an artists individuality to her reader. My students loved learning about Van Gogh's life and painting syle and were anxious to rey it out for themselves witht he materials included. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

To the point!
I have bought this book a few times, and I always end up giving it away to parents, so I'm ordering it again today. What makes it so good: Linda L. Louis is a brilliant art educator of young children, she's exact and to the point. This book will help get you into your children's art work. You'll know how to talk to them about their art - and that it's not about saying: "beautiful, pretty, I like it", which can actually be unhelpful to the child at work. But comments like: "I see you made a really fast line around some red dots" etc. helps the child connect to his/her art and want to explore further. I had the wonderful luck of having Linda L. Louis as a teacher, when I studied to become an art teacher. This book is really a little gem, full of her insights. Enjoy

It had beautiful pictures and was nicely written.
It makes you want to paint even though you could be doing an other hobby.It has wonderful illustrations that were done by kids too.

Five stars for this "how to paint" book for children.
Basketball star, Patrick Ewing, and art educator Linda L. Louis have teamed together to produce a colorful book designed to encourage youngsters to put paint to paper and to express themselves through the techniques ofthe paintbrush."In the Paint" begins with an introduction byMr. Ewing that provides an account of his early childhood interest indrawing and painting, tells how he diligently practiced his hobby in thesame way that he later diligently practiced and refined his talents on thebasketball court.He realized an early dream when he graduated fromGeorgetown University with a degree in Fine Arts.The book goes on toteach the basics of painting to young people, how to gather the neededmaterials, how to mix paint to achieve every shade of color, how to selectand handle brushes, how to choose what to paint and how to paint it. Addressed to youngsters, it is nevertheless an invaluable instructionalbook for teachers and parents alike.Of particular interest to them willbe the concluding section written by Ms. Louis, "Tips for Parents andTeachers".Chock full of paintings by young students themselves, itis remarkable that this clearly written and beautifully decorated book canbe offered at such a low price.

A wonderful guide for parents, teachers and the kids!
Parents and teachers will learn how to set just the right conditions allowing their children to make paintings using their own "voices", expressing their own ideas and making their own images.... and the kids will have great fun as they paint their hearts out!

More than five stars
How come I can only give this book five stars?This book deserves at least ten!This book is invaluable for someone like me (I am a student teacher) who is not used to talking to children about their art.Threecheers for Linda L.Louis and Patrick Ewing!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Fun and Edecational all in one!: or : Where's my crayons?
I picked this one up at a local store (sorry amazon) as a gift to a little girl in the medieval group I belong to, and while flippig through at the checkout line, I relized I needed a copy for myself. I only wish that the documentation refrenced some sorses. Paintings or brass rubbings would be cool.
But still a really neat book.

A Costumer's Delight!
This book is really fun. There are pictures of men and women from various countries and different social and economic backgrounds, and a good amount of detail in each drawing. If you were attempting to reconstruct the costume of a 14th century French baker's wife, for example, you could get many good ideas here! I can't stress enough what a good resource this book would be: the pictures are large and detailed, the captions clearly identify the time,place, and economic status of the persons being depicted. Just a wonderful, gorgeous book! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Choices of Paintings by Sister Wendy Beckett
5/2/04 This book was a "great find"(on the shelf of children's books at a 'St Vincent de Paul Society' thrift store...The knowledge that the pictures are not your 'traditional'masterpiece paintings make the 'visual tour' of it one which makes you keep returning to find where did those 'cameo' pictures come from that Sister Wendy Beckett has placed throughout the book (e.g. The jacket is Domenico Ghirlandaio's "Portrait of an Old Man and a Young Boy"(which is on Page 10 and is also listed on the 'picture list'/page 32 as being at the Musee du Louvre,Paris . The book is not too extreme for today's child (1.their cartoons 2.their 'rap artists' & 3.their extreme sports , make this book which would have been controversial in the 1980's ,just contemporary in its year 1995 publication ,first by Great Britain's Dorling Kindersley Limited ,followed by a "First American Edition" by New York,USA's DK Publishing Inc....,with colors enhanced by Verona,Italy's G.R.B. Graphica.

Not appropriate for very young children
Although this is a lovely book, with many lovely thoughts and lessons, there are some paintings that young children will find disturbing. Even my thirteen-year-old daughter was shocked by the painting of the murder of a Pope. There is also some semi-nudity (from the rear) which readers should be aware of. Although this book encourages children to love God, I feel Sister Wendy could have chosen paintings more appropriate for children.

Wonderful for all ages
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I took it to work where it was loved by all, including atheists. Sister Wendy truly is imbued with the Holy Spirit and it just comes pouring right out of the pages of this book. Reading level is listed as 4 - 8 years of age, but my 9 year old and I and love it too. The prayers are simple, honest, direct and lovely. Suitable for use with even the youngest child. The paintings and her comments lend themselves to medidation by people of all ages. Sister Wendy helps us to see the divine joy in art, and through it, life.

Excellent book for all ages
A great book for children, with beautiful art pictures, and beautiful prose & thoughts of prayer & reflection. ... Read more

Book Description

Harold needs a picture for his bedroom wall. So he takes his purple crayon and begins to create a whole new world around him. But then he notices he has gotten very small-half the size of a daisy! Only a very clever artist can find his way home now.

Reviews (1)

THIS IS A FABULOUS BOOK TO READ OUT LOUD
I adored this book when I was a kid (some 30 years ago) and since then I have read it out loud to lots of kids -- including groups in hospitals and at libraries. They always love it -- expecially the age 3 to 5 crowd. The illustrations are very simple, but really appealing to kids. It's also a terrific book for beginning readers since the vocabulary is pretty simple. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent for almost any age
I'm 25 years old and have been drawing and doodling since I was a child. I tended to draw things somewhat realistically and saved whimsical doodles for school notebooks and personal affects. This book proves how whimsical drawings are very appropriate for professional print, web publishing, greeting cards, and art. They allow the reader to develop their own style, while teaching fundamentals and many styles. Examples in the book are taught step-by-step in about three or four simple steps at most. Sophistication can be added with scenery, color, paint style, line style, and other stylization. This book also provides a good basis for vector art on a computer. I've currently been using Adobe Illustrator software, for my own drawings- drawing in black ink on one layer, and copying and pasting the same thing on a layer below. Then I reverse everything on the bottom layer so that there are no longer outlines, but filled shapes, and change the color of each shape accordingly, and slightly distort them so that they appear slightly offset or jiggled. This creates a nice effect. For drawing on paper I like using Millenium brand pens, as they don't smear and are pretty waterproof. This creates a great line so that if watercolors are used, the ink outline won't run. I commend the author and throroughly enjoyed the book. The accessories that come with the book are great but I mostly use the book for vector art to print. I highly recommend this book for those who desire inspiration, are afraid to make mistakes in drawing, or who wish to add personal flair to greeting cards and other media. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

not just for kids!
As an adult who wanted to learn how to play the recorder, I wasn't sure how (or where) begin. This book is set up from very easy tunes to increasingly difficult (although it never gets too hard.) If a tune involves a new technique (examples: new time signatures, sharps and flats, etc.) the author explains these new things simply and to the point. The best thing about this book is that there are a variety of songs, most of which are recognizable (some Xmas tunes, classical pieces, folk songs, etc.) I wish there were more exercises to increase your technique, but that's being picky. I would recommend this book to both children and adults. ... Read more

Book Description

Disney/Pixar Studios, the vanguard film production company responsible for the revolution in computer generated animation, brings us its latest creation in Finding Nemo. This underwater adventure stars a shy clownfish on a mission to save his son, Nemo, who has been taken from their home in the coral reef.

DK and Pixar have teamed up again to bring animation fans an essential visual guide to the film, detailing the creative process behind the scenes and showing readers everything they might want to know about the characters, story, imagery, and magic of the next hit family film from the creators of Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and A Bug's Life. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

. . .
I bought this book expecting one of those 'Making of . . .' creations, but ended up being pretty disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this guide is very informative, amusing and candy for the eyes . . . but for children. Or, for adults with inner children. Seeing as I'm a cynical teenager, it didn't do much for me :)

Love this book.........
This book is really cool and it gave me a lot of information on Finding Nemo that I didn't know about before.
But I did see a couple of errors in the book.
But the only errors were length and stuff like that....so it really doesn't matter that much.
Besides that the book gives you information on just about everyone in the movie and information on the type of fish that the characters are,like I never knew that Dory and Bubbles were related,let me tell you how:
Dory is a Regal Tang.
Bubbles is a Yellow Tang. cool huh....?
Anyway, its a good book to read when you're bored or while you're watching the movie.
This book is auesome.
sincerly,
Kenny (jellyman)

Great book and fun too!
If you want to learn even more about the ocean -- check out Captain Jon Explores the Ocean on DVD - also available on Amazon.

Awsome Book
I love this book. It reminds me of the movie, infact, Finding Nemo is my all time favorite movie. I found the moonfish pretty cool when we see them clearly instead of them doing their impressions. Finding Nemo is my favorite movie and this is one of my favorite books. I also like the clownfish joke. How do you make jellyfishes laugh? Give him ten tickles.

Excitement Under the Sea
This was the neatest Finding Nemo book! It has all you need to know about the little secret things about Finding Nemo! In fact, it's my favorite book! Finding Nemo is my favorite movie, and now I have a favorite book to match it! I especially like how even the moonfish and jellyfish get their own page full of information. The tank gang's bios were very interesting, as were overlooking of the dentist's office. Thank you Nemo! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Art Fun by Kim Solga
This is a must have for any art teacher!! The ideas will send a child's imagination soaring. All activities are practical, loads of fun and economical. You'll find yourself saying "wow you can do that". I teach K-8 at a parochial school and will be using the ideas constantly.

Raise a Successful Adult!
Kim Solga really knows how to make art fun, just like the title says. Simple, easy, fun, and wonderful for kids' imaginations.Want to raise a creative, smart, successful adult? Use Art Fun with your child now!! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great Source of Historical Information
This book is excellent.... EL Konigsburg describes the apprentice Salai's service to Leonardo very well... It seems as if you are watching it take place before you, instead of in reality reading it. The Mona Lisa has always been a mystery, how Leonardo labored painting a merchant's wife whilst other noble families begged him for theirs to be done [such as Isabella d'Este]. The thing that really fascinated me throughout this book was that, it was all based on something real. This book was supposed to be a book report, ended up being my spare reading book that I read when I had spare time. Ahh....Thank god for book reports...

Why I Recommend This: by a teenage book lover
I picked up this book mainly because I saw that it was written by E. L. Konigsburg, a given that it would be a good read. Let's just say it was, in that sense, not disappointing (especially the beginning & middle). I didn't really know that much about Leonardo DaVincci (forgive my spelling errors) before reading this, except that to describe him as a genious would be an understatment, but by the end of the book I felt as if I knew him and understood him both as an artist and a person. And I will never look at The Mona Lisa or any other of his artwork the same again. But to tell you the truth I found the end a bit disapointing. I suppose that was really my own fault though. I had forgotten that this book was based on reality and in my amnesia imagined, or to put it better had no doubts, that there would be some miraculous surprise ending. I EXPECTED a fairy tale ending. It never even occured to me that anyone would die for real! (You see I thought that the death was fake -- a scam to fool the public. Yes, I know I have a wild imagination.) I disliked the ending because I was unprepared for it. I didn't realize I was on the last page until I was literally on the last page. You know how you can tell you're getting to the end of a book because you feel only a few pages in your right fingers? Well, that doesn't work with this book -- there are pictures of paintings by DaVincci (?) in the back of the book. I turn the last page expecting to find the next chapter but find instead that the book is done. I believe "That's it?" were my exact words. I have to say though that the end made the story even more real -- as in it would've happened in real life. The story was excellent despite my immature need for a happy ending. But I AM consistent (I felt the same after Romeo & Juliet). I think that if I had to categorize this book I would place it in the "star-crossed lovers doomed for tragedy" section rather than the "historical fiction -- Leonardo DaVincci" section. Only because the story it really about Leoonardo, eventhough you do learn a lot [of accurate stuff] about him. I believe the story is more romantic, more about true beauty, than anything else. How can I not recommend this book?

Who was Mrs. Giaconda?
The Second Mrs. GIaconda is a magnificently written book by a favorite author, E.L. Konigsburg. Intially the story begins in Milan, Italy, but as it progresses the characters travel to many other locations in sixteenth century Renaissance Europe.

The main character, Salai, is a young thief at the age of thirteen, with hair as curly as a pig's tail. Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, befriends Salai and makes him an apprentice. The only real talent Salai possesses is his ability to make Leonardo laugh. The pair reside in Milan with Duke Il Moro and his wife Beatrice de Este'. Beatrice possesses great inner beauty and they come to love her deeply. A compelling series of events lead up to Leonardo's painting of a mere merchant's wife, the captivating Mona Lisa.

This is a wonderful book filled with a little action, some adventure, some tears and a host of big laughs. It is a wonderful read for any person over the age of ten. The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a story you may want to read again and again!

Who is the Mona Lisa????
I wasn't very interested in this book because it is about the 19th century and Leonardo Da Vinci. It's a mystery about who the Mona Lisa really was. The mona lisa is believed to be a lot of people; Leonardo Da Vinci painted himself as a woman, The second Mrs. Giaconda, and Beatrice (a character in the book) are a few of the suggested.

The Second Mrs. Giaionda
The book tries to solve the mystery of who the Mona Lisa was and why Leonardo painted her. The book also allows you to glimpse the day to day life of Leonardo, the man, artist and inventor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Book - worth adding to your library
This is a beautiful book that you and your child will enjoy reading over and over.It rounds out a classic children's home library in teaching about art and how each person sees art in different places and is able to share it with others.A great book to talk about during family dinners!

Celebrating the artistic experiences we all have every day.
This book beautifully and simply expresses the philosophy of the Lincoln Center Institute for Arts in Education, where I received training (I'm an elementary teacher).Basically, it is that art is about WAYS OF LOOKING, noticing, and interacting fully with our environment........appreciating the different, the beautiful, and the meaningful, for each of us as individuals. Cultivating this aesthetic awareness helps us live more fully, and connect to humanity.This book, appropriate for about age 4 and up, gently demonstrates this, and provides a valuable reminder for us grownups. On each page of 1-2 sentences, the narrator describes how her careful noticings of simple beauty makes her an artist.Truly, we all have it in us. Also, if this type of thinking excites you, try the work of Lincoln Center Institute's philosopher-in residence, Maxine Greene.Her new book, Reflections on the Blue Guitar:The Lincoln Center Lectures, can inspire your own reflections and connections. Enjoy!

I am an artist!
ONE OF MY TEACHERS READ THIS TO MY CLASS.IT MADE US ALL FEEL WE ARE ARTIST.IT REALLY INSPIRED ME TO CREATE.I LOVED IT SO MUCH I WANT TO BUYIT SO I MAY BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH MY FRIENDS.JUST IMAGE IF YOU SEESHAPES IN THE CLOUDS YOU TOO CAN BE AN ARTIST LIKE ME!

"Taking time to smell the roses"
I am using this book, I am an Artist, as part of a homeschool curriculum for my four year old son.We have enjoyed it very much.I think the bestthing about it is it really teaches a child the importance of noticing andappreciating this beautiful world we live in; that is, ittells us to"take time to smell the roses". The illustrations of nature inthe book are wonderful and thought provoking, too. ... Read more