Reviews (1)

Wonderful, simple, and intruiging!
"Draw 50 Sharks..." is an excellent book for children and adults interested in marine life, and at the same time wish to appreciate art. I found the step-by-step sketch examples non-intimidating as some drawing books present themselves. Children will find this book useful as a template for drawing sea creatures, and can improvise from them. The book is a "must-read" for children. Teachers should incorporate this book into their curriculum as a way to spark creativity in children. ... Read more

Book Description

They were on their own -- three kids and one giant chicken. Stuck in Hoboken for the summer, Nick Itch, Loretta Fischetti, and Bruno Ugg are really, really bored. After whiling away their time spitting in the Hudson River and trying to teach Henrietta, Nick's 266-pound chicken, how to juggle marshmallows, they're ready for something -- anything -- to happen.

When a mysterious and brilliant chalk artist starts decorating Hoboken's streets, the three friends are blown away. They set off to explore the art world in a frenzy of adventurous drawing, screeving, and eggplant picnics.

Book Description

Reviews (2)

This book is ok, but very much a childrens coloring book
This book is ok, but very much a childrens coloring book. As that it is good. But if you want more detailed drawings then look for Maya Designs (Coloring Book) by Wilson G. Turner. Excellent art and lots of it.

Impressive & beautiful.
I bought this coloring book at a local shop. It is so beautiful i'm hesitant to begin coloring it.It doesn't need color.These illustrations are intricate and the samples in color are really great for inspiration of the actual full size illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fun learning
For every two pages there is a work of art on the right page, and a letter in lower case and upper case form on the left. The leftmost page also include a word appropriate to the work of art, a sentence, and a question for further investigation. The words are age appropriate, like rainbow, cows. peacock, girl, and balloon. Works of art include red balloon / BALLOON Rouge by Paul Klee; Young Boy with DOG by Picasso; Reading (GIRLS) by Renoir; Intitled (ICE CREAM CONE) by Warhol; Untitled (KITE) by Warhol; OCTOPUS by Calder; Pileated WOODPECKER by John J. Audobon; and Study for Homage to the Sqaure; Departing in YELLOW by Josef Albers. Questions for investigation include, Can you think of three things in YELLOW?; What song is he playing on his VIOLIN?; Judging from the expression on the woman's face in the painting, what is the QUEEN feeling?; and What four colors do you see in this paintin of an OCTOPUS?

Teach about ABCs and art at the same time!
This is another wonderful book from the Baby Einstein collection, and it stars the lovable character of Vincent Van Goat (complete with bandaged ear!). Each page of this book offers a famous work of art, which in turn provides an illustration for the featured letter of the alphabet. The included questions stimulate the child's imagination and encourage creative thinking while also developing art appreciation skills. This may make the book sound too advanced for little ones, but it is clearly appropriate for a wide age range, from toddlers up to school aged children. Plus, as with all Baby Eistein books, there are thoughtful tips for parents on how best to use the book with their children. A wonderful way to enhance your child's intellectional and emotional development!

Great introduction to art!
I think this book is a great introduction to art for a small child. The pictures are clear and interesting and the questions on the opposing page are stimulating.

Another Great Baby Einstein Book
This book is a great way to introuduce art to a young child. It has wonderful pictures and good questions to help start a discussion with your child. IE) A is for Angel, followed by questions about how the angel differs from you. A nice way to help have a conversation with your child. I only gave it 4 stars however because I don't see it having great appeal for children younger than a year or two, whereas the Baby Einstein board books entertain my daughter for longer periods of time.

awesome art appreciation!
Makes art reallly fun for little kids! I use this book with my two year old and also with my five year old in different ways. It's a great way to get kids to talk about art and the selections are fantastic! Julie Clark has done it again! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

art for youth
I checked out this book from the library because, as an adult, I felt I didn't know enough about paintings to appreciate them fully when I visited an art gallery. This book briefly covers a large number of aspects of art including color, perspective, portraits, and landscape. The paintings used as examples are many and varied and they are beautifully reproduced. I learned many things but as I read, I came up with many more questions the book did not answer. However, I am a 36-year-old college graduate. I believe that the book is quite informative for its recommended age group: 9-12. I am getting a copy for my artistic nephew's tenth birthday. ... Read more

Book Description

There were no spaceships or airplanes when Zoro was a boy. He lived in Italy during the era we now call the Renaissance, a time when the sky belonged to the birds. But one unusual man dreamed of incredible flying machines. "One day, Zoro," he told his pupil, "people will sail through the clouds and look down at the world below." Zoro was curious. He knew that his teacher did more than merely dream about the future, but was an important artist and inventor. Then Zoro made an astonishing discovery. His teacher was building a mysterious machine. A machine intended to fly! Here begins a fascinating story based on a true event, for Zoro's master was the famous artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci. Full-color illustrations throughout this beautiful book include reproductions of some of Leonardo's famous artworks. (Ages 4-8) ... Read more

Amazon.com

In another wondrous, wordless picture book by Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner (Tuesday and June 29, 1999), a class visiting the Empire State Building finds complete cloud cover and no visibility. One boy makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure. The cloud whisks him away to the "Sector 7" floating cloud factory, a bizarre sky station that looks like a Victorian design for a submarine.

Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (20)

If you've ever seen a shape in the clouds, read this book!
This is yet another great book by author/illustrator David Wiesner. This is a story about a boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. As a result of complete cloud cover the boy makes friends with a unique character, a cloud. The cloud takes the boy to "Sector 7" where all clouds are made by boring, uninspired beings. The boys spices things up by creating factastic shapes for the clouds. The boy is kicked out of Sector 7 by those beings who do not appreciate his artistic ability. After the boy is gone the clouds revolt and what follows is a delight for the eyes! This almost wordless picture book stretches the imagination and keeps you guessing page after page about what you will see next.

A Wordless Piece of Art
David Wiesner's Sector 7 illustrates an artistic young boy's adventure on a school field trip to the Empire State Building, where he meets a "friendly cloud-man." The "friendly cloud-man" takes the boy to "Sector 7," (the place where clouds are formed and placed around the globe). The boy uses his talents to give the unhappy clouds an eye-opening makeover. Wiesner's illustrations create an expressive story. His detailed pictures work together to make the story understandable and interesting. To enhance the mood and atmosphere of the story, Wiesner uses the choice of bold, friendly watercolors and unique frames throughout the book. The frames are presented in chronological order either top to bottom, left to right, or back to front. Sector 7 gives the reader's mind a chance to unwind and expand beyond its imaginable limits. It is definitely a book that will attract those of all ages and test their imagination.

A Great First Book
Sector 7 is a great first book. Since it has essentially no words and requires none to be enjoyed, the book can be "read" and understood by very young children. We all see the clouds in the sky and who hasn't seen something in their shapes?

This book ranks with Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." To get a child started on the road to reading and loving it, Sector 7 can be enjoyed alone, with a friend or parent.

Every day should be a cloudy day like this one...
Of all the children's books I have read, this one stands out as my all time favorite. I love to write, and treasure the words in good stories, but Sector 7 needs no words to be understood. All you have to do is read the pictures, and let your imagination do the rest.

A little boy with artistic talent draws in the fog on the window of the schoolbus that is taking his class on a field trip to the Empire State Building. When the children arrive, they rush to the top only to find that it is completely cloudy. There is zero visibility, nothing but clouds. This makes it easy for one friendly cloud to make friends with the boy, and whisk him away to Sector 7, a cloud factory in the sky. The clouds are bored with their round and blobby shapes, so the boy puts his talent to work to draw plans for new cloud shapes. The clouds begin to reinvent themselves into interesting new forms. It doesn't take long before the powers that be take notice, and search for the culprit. The boy is immediately caught and sent back to join his class. You'd think it would end there, but his precocious little cloud friends has other plans. The ending of this book is delightful, as the boy begins to see the difference he made take hold in the sky. My favorite illustration is the boy asleep at the end. Even I , as an adult, think that sleeping on a cloud would be heavenly.

This book is magical for children and adults alike. If you are familiar with David Wiesner's work or not, Sector 7 is a special treat.

Gorgeous book
The graphics are incredible in this book. I have 3 children ages 7, 5 and 5 and they were absolutely enchanted with this book as was I. Highly recommend this book for all ages. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling novel depicts a young girl's summer romance, the consequences that follow, and the lessons she learns about the importance of sexual purity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A very eye-opening book!!
Just Like Ice Cream is a great book about a teenager who has a summer fling and becomes pregnant. The book follows her struggle to decide what to do. She debates all the options with an adult friend who is a Christian. The book is wonderful without being preachy. Another book you might want to read is If I'd Only Known... by Edee Wilcox. The subject matter is the same - a sexually active teen, but the main character doesn't end up pregnant. This book focuses mainly on the emotional aspects of being a sexually active teen through the eyes of the teen.

Searched for Years for this one
I read this book when I was in Jr. High and now I am grown with my own family... This book has made a lifetime impression on me and I have been looking to buy this book again for years. I had loaned it to someone and it was never returned... This book is well worth reading, especially if you or someone you know had had a young pregnancy.

This book is terrific!
I read this book when I was in the 6th grade. I'm now a junior in high school and it is now that everything this book said has meaning. I think that maybe some of the book's content was over my head and under my feet, but now everything comes into perspective. I suggest that any girl having problems with faith or feelings should read this.

Recommended for any teen girl
I am now in my twenties, but I remember reading this book in the 6th grade. While it may have been a little early for me - some was well over my head, I think it is better for kids to learn too soon what can happen when you have unprotected sex, than too late. It is presented in an entertaining manner that attracts young readers, yet instills in them the hard facts about teen sex. I would recommend this to any parent, and I hope that it is still around when the time comes for me to give it to my daughter.

Life altering
I am a 21 year old female. When I was 15 years old a friend of mine gave me this book to read and it was life altering. At the time I was dating a guy who I thought floated on air, he was the best. He was trying to convince me to having sex saying it was soo good, that it didn't hurt, and that I would love it and oh yeah, that I wouldn't get pregnant. Well he almost had me convinced. Then I read this book that led me to believe that I can wait to have sex later and that I am worth more than a "good time". It made me devote myself to abstinence until marriage. I passed it on to friends who also loved it and was motivated towards purity. All five of us who read it remained pure until our wedding day or are still pure. I hope that one day this book will still be around for me to give to my daughter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent resource for many fascinating projects.
This book is filled with explicit instructions on many facinating projects. It is clear, concise and easy to understand. Excellent resource for children and teachers.

Practical instruction and insightful comments-Super!!!!
Laurie, I just finished this book and I really appreciated it. My daughter is soon to be three and I have been wanting to learn more about environmentally friendly ways to teach her about life and our world. This is a super resource for me. Thank you so much!! ... Read more

Book Description

Paris in the 1400s. A young girl named Marguerite delights in assisting her father, Jacques, in his craft: illuminating manuscripts for the nobility of France. His current commission is a splendid book of hours for his patron, Lady Isabelle, but will he be able to finish it in time for Lady Isabelle's name day?

In this richly illustrated tale, Marguerite comes to her father's aid. She journeys all over Paris buying goose feathers for quills, eggs for mixing paints, dried plants and ground minerals for pigments. Then she expertly finishes the illumination of Lady Isabelle's book, to the delight of her father and his patron. This delightful book, brought to life by the finely detailed, evocative art of a renowned children's artists, was inspired by an illuminated manuscript in the collection of the Getty Museum. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Illuminating book about the Middle Ages
Marguerite's father Jacques is the most famous manuscript illuminator in Paris, when he is injured and cannot finish the book he is working on, Marguerite sets out to do it for him. We see Marguerite travelling round Paris buying the things she needs to complete the book, then we see her preparing the pages, mixing the paints, and completing the picture her father was working on. The story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations showing life in medieval Paris and details of illuminated manuscripts. This charming book is an ideal intoduction to the middle ages for children (especially girls) showing that there was more to the period than knights in armour and plague. A lovely and unusual book.

summery
600 years ago, Lady Isabelle of Paris ordered a book from Papa Jacques, a famous book maker and he has only three days left to finish it. However, Jaqueses' eyeglasses is broken. So Jaqueses' daughter, Marguerite finished the book for him. Margurite went to Master Raymond's house for gold leafs, a farm for parchment, the market for eggs, goose feathers,parsley, and a pot of honey, and finally the apothcary for dried saffron flowers, madder roots, a cake of vermilion, some wax, pine pitch, and some lapis lazuli stone. At her house, Marguerite prepared he pens and paint. Then Marguerite started to paint. On one page, which was decorated with Lady Isabelle's favorite daises Marguerite colored Lady Isabelle's robe and hair. When Isebelle came to check on the book, she was very impressed.

Maguerite Makes a Book
Wow, this book has the most beautiful illustrations I have seen in a long time! My daughter and I just love the story and the fold out pages! We have been inspired to do more digging into this topic. I am going to share this book with my Grade 2 and 3 art students. A definite must for little artists.

Marguerite Makes a Book
I have always been fascinated by illuminated books so this book immediately caught my attention when shopping for nieces and nephews. It is beautifully illustrated and the story is sweet. It would be nice though if once a young lady could render assistance by being invited instead of having her father injure himself first! The center fold on how to make paints is a little unusual. Read the two opposing pages first, then open. Lovely book for children and their parents.

Story and Illustrations are wonderful
Both the story and illustrations in this book are wonderful. The story explains how books were illuminated. A fold out section explains how the different color paints were created. The story may be a little long for beginning listeners in a read aloud situation. The book has a glossary of technical terms that expands on the meaning given in the text. Inspired by a group of Parisian Manuscripts in the Getty Museum. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Beyond Dr. Seuss's work for children is an entirely different world--perhaps similar in whimsy and humor, but even more wondrous. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is a short (less than 100 pages) and beautiful full-color coffee-table book filled with cartoons, sketches, and oil paintings. The collection of birds, cats, lions, and pointy-headed peopleis fairly familiar territory for any true Seuss fan, but with a deeperamount of detail and more sophisticated tones. A favorite design in ink istitled "Impractical Marshmallow Toasting Device"--it's easy to see Seuss didn't find art to be a serious business. And could the oil painting "Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks" be a rendition of Cat in the Hat's evil twin? A wonderful, intriguing book for Seuss fans of all ages. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Wonderfully Facinating
Every page unfolds another facinating look into the mind of a wonderful artist that many have grown up with. I personally was amazed at what I found within these pages, and would recomend this book to anyone that is either interested in art, or in Dr. Seuss. This book shows that he was much more than just a children's author.

beautiful book
dr. seuss was more than a children's book author, he was an artist. i had always taken for granted this fact until i saw this as another extension of his work. beautiful pictures and fascinating sculptures...would i love to one of those hanging in my livingroom!

One Cool Cat
Best known of course for his dearly beloved children's books, Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) was also an supremely talented artist, as this collection of his paintings and sculptures attests. Far more detailed than the illustrations of his books, the paintings in particular range from gently witty to absolutely dazzling.

Many great painters use the canvas to tell a story; Seuss goes a step farther. Each of his paintings are like a portal into an amazing little world. "Cat Detective in the Wrong Part of Town" evokes a seedy 50's mystery story, but with cats. Cats, by the way, are a major theme of this collection. They pop up everywhere, doing everything: Dancing the night away in "Cat Carnival in West Venice", playing pool in "Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks", even taking a shower in "Cat in Obsolete Shower Bath (Study)". Seuss packs a lot of feeling into his subjects; "Lonely" sums up isolation about as well as anything I've seen, and several untitled pieces each show one lone bird flying serenely above a stormy sea. My favorite painting is entitled "I Dreamed I Was a Doorman at the Hotel del Coronado". With its dreamy South American feel and bright colors it reminds me of an old Technicolor movie from the forties.

I can't recommend this book enough, the paintings are just wonderful. I never get tired of looking at them. A complete must-own for any Seuss fan, or just any lover of the whimsical. A+

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!
We all know Theodore Seuss Geisell as a creative author and illustrator. However, many of us have no idea he was an incredibly imaginitive, colorful and captivating non-literary artist. I love this collection, and think it really shows Seuss' breadth of talent. (If you also want to see more to Seuss than his kids' books, check out his biting WWII political cartoons. They're equally a treasure.)

And to think I saw it at the art gallery on Superior Street
One of our local art galleries had several choice examples of the art of Dr. Seuss, not just the cartoon drawings that made their way into his wonderful books, but the paintings and other artistic efforts presented here as "The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss." This work extends from a series of four pencil and watercolor illustrations about Peru done in 1925 to an ink drawing entitled "The Economic Situation Clarified" in 1975. That means a half-century of art the beginning of which predates his first publication, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," by a dozen years. As I said, these are more than just paintings, including the heads he did in the 1930s, including my favorite, the Blue-Green Abelard. The commonality of all this artwork is the fertile imagination of Ted Geisel. The creatures in these illustrations will seem familiar (you will spot Horton and other beloved visages) but what will strike you is the way Geisel started incorporating brilliant colors and abstract designs into his artwork.

I am not pretending that this is serious artwork, but just that Geisel was serious about his art. He was not a great artist, just a beloved artist, who could twist and tangle pictures the way he could words and rhymes. We appear to have run out of his books, but "The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss" give us something "new" to enjoy. You might even find something you would like to get a copy of and put up on the wall in the children's bedroom. ... Read more

Book Description

Simon Packard didn't always want to do his artist report on Pablo Picasso, but after his twin brother Stephen does a report on Monet-Simon's favorite artist-Simon chooses Picasso by default! Throughout, there are reproductions of Pablo Picasso's masterpieces as well as Simon's own drawings, and wonderful nuggets of info that will appeal to kids. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting facts but some inappropriate content for childre
This book was a great resource - I had to do an Exploring Arts project on Picasso for both a 3rd grade class and a 1st grade class. I was able to read this book to the 3rd grade class with omitting 4 - 5 pages, but it was definitely not appropriate for 1st graders. During the blue period section, it says that Picasso was depressed because his best friend committed suicide and that Picasso had used (and I quote) "tramps and drunks" as his subjects! It also has a few too many visuals that are better left to older eyes. That being said, it did have some great facts that I hadn't seen anywhere else and the Children REALLY liked this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Some Indian mandala patterns are more than 5,000 years old. This book features both traditional and modern motifs such as embroidered handicrafts, geometric mazes and knots, peacocks, and lotuses. Monika Helwig’s stylized versions of these classic patterns make this book an ideal diversion as well as a learning experience. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

terrific simple ideas to inspire
I teach art to elementary students and have used many of the
wonderful ideas in this book: making a truck out of an envelope,drawing catepillars, making crayoned paper snowflakes, and a loopy snake paper sculpture(big hit with the students).The price is great for all of the inspiring ideas. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Get to know this great art book (and the whole series)!
The books in this series are the best books I've seen to introduce children to great artists. "Getting to Know Great Artists" books bring to life the person behind the painting with fun cartoons about his life. Why did Rembrandt start painting? What's so great about his paintings? This book makes kids care about the man and his art. Your kids will wind up knowing more about Rembrandt than most adults ever will! The combination of cartoons with color photographs of the artist's paintings makes the book lively to look at. The text is interesting and easy to read. The artist's greatest works are shown within the context they were made: what was going on in the artist's life, how the work was received by society at the time. I recommend this whole series of "Getting to Know Great Artists" very highly. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Artists who love cats will love this book.
I am teaching my students to draw cats using this book. I like the step-by-step drawings and the different position and types of cats.
We have gone one step further in class by making our own stationery and cards using our finished drawings. We add a complimentary quote to our drawing from the book 516 Sensational Cat Quotes, Proverbs, Quips and Jokes for Scrapbooking, Crafting and Fun ISBN 0966640578
Teachers, have your student make a copy of the original so that they can make numerous copies. Save the originals.
Great drawing book. I highly recommend it.
We are having fun in class.

Great drawing book
My daughter borrowed some of these books from the school library & loved them so much i bought some for her. It goes step by step with you,giving examples,to show you how to make wonderful drawings.Great book for anyone who likes to draw.

From a cat-lover
This book is just what I needed! It has fairly simple stepswhich create great results in only a few minutes. I borrowed thisbook from a friend and I was drawing grrreat tigers before I had to give it back. Now all I have to do is buy it! :) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Worth it, for a fanatic
If you only think window art is 'kinda neat', you probably don't need this refill set. There are a few more colors -- the white and clear make some really pretty Tiffany glass style effects possible, for those interested in spending the extra time -- but really there isn't that much more here than you'll find with your standard set.

I do have a couple issues with the refill. My primary one is that there just isn't enough black! I'm always running out! Also, I've noticed the window art tends to fade in the sun -- to be expected, I suppose -- and also doesn't store very well. Even when stored as recommended by the book, my window art got a little flat and squished looking.

But overall, this set is a lot of fun :) I have my windows decorated with butterflies and tulips, and my shower door decorated with fish. It's an easy, fun way to bring a little bit of color into my house.

Klutz does it again!
My 2 children love the Klutz books. The window painting book is their favorite and this refill kit is great! It comes with several colors and the big bottles of black that you need for the outlining. My daughter loved the glittery paints. The kid went through the paints that came with the book in just a few days - their windows are covered with clings, and this refill kit was just what we needed.

Hours of fun!
My kids love to make window art.
Now I have to get more paints.
It's easy, safe, and creative.
Doesn't stain and easy to peel off and place on another window. ... Read more