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Rating: 
Summary: Most Informative!
Review: As an elementary art teacher, I always keep my eyes open for power-packed, informative, interesting, art-related books. This book is excellent in helping children relate to the artist's individual style ("...his trees look like broccoli") and comparing Wood's style to similar styles of his inspirational fellow artists. The children especially love the fictional yet funny cartoons relating to the artist's life. This book successfully portrays Grant Wood's love of his homeland.
Rating:
Summary: Most Informative!
Review: As an elementary art teacher, I always keep my eyes open for power-packed, informative, interesting, art-related books. This book is excellent in helping children relate to the artist's individual style ("...his trees look like broccoli") and comparing Wood's style to similar styles of his inspirational fellow artists. The children especially love the fictional yet funny cartoons relating to the artist's life. This book successfully portrays Grant Wood's love of his homeland.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the paintings of Grant Wood
Review: Once again, Mike Venezia does a first-rate job of introducing young readers to the life and art of one of the world's greatest artists. This time around it is Grant Wood, who youngsters might be surprised to know did more than paint "American Gothic." Venezia explains how Grant Wood, along with John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton, developed the style of art which celebrated people and customs of the Midwest, which became known as Regionalism. We see examples of paintings by each of the three down during the same period of time. Venezia also shows how Wood developed his art style. After a trip to Europe Wood was influenced for a while by the Impressionists; we see a comparison of a painting by Camille Pissarro and one in a similar style by Wood. But Wood was also influenced by the old master painters of the 15th century, and we see examples of that as well. Venezia also covers the biographical details of Wood's life, usually illustrated with humorous cartoons. My favorite is when Wood painted camouflage on tanks and cannons during World War I. This book is illustrated with ten paintings by Wood as well as an early sketch and a stained-glass window he designed. I think they will find "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" to be the most striking and memorable. The last page has a special treat with his sister, Nan Wood Graham, and his dentist, Dr. B. H. McKeeby, photographed next to the "American Gothic" painting that immortalized the pair. I have enjoyed my education in Art Appreciation from Venezia, and this is one of his better efforts in the excellent "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the paintings of Grant Wood
Review: Once again, Mike Venezia does a first-rate job of introducing young readers to the life and art of one of the world's greatest artists. This time around it is Grant Wood, who youngsters might be surprised to know did more than paint "American Gothic." Venezia explains how Grant Wood, along with John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton, developed the style of art which celebrated people and customs of the Midwest, which became known as Regionalism. We see examples of paintings by each of the three down during the same period of time. Venezia also shows how Wood developed his art style. After a trip to Europe Wood was influenced for a while by the Impressionists; we see a comparison of a painting by Camille Pissarro and one in a similar style by Wood. But Wood was also influenced by the old master painters of the 15th century, and we see examples of that as well. Venezia also covers the biographical details of Wood's life, usually illustrated with humorous cartoons. My favorite is when Wood painted camouflage on tanks and cannons during World War I. This book is illustrated with ten paintings by Wood as well as an early sketch and a stained-glass window he designed. I think they will find "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" to be the most striking and memorable. The last page has a special treat with his sister, Nan Wood Graham, and his dentist, Dr. B. H. McKeeby, photographed next to the "American Gothic" painting that immortalized the pair. I have enjoyed my education in Art Appreciation from Venezia, and this is one of his better efforts in the excellent "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series.
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