I Spy Shapes in Art

Rating:
Summary: art lesson is a picture book
Review: I Spy Shapes in Art is a great introduction for young children into the world of art. Each two-page spread contains, on the lefthand page, the words "I spy with my little eye and a certain shape to look for. The right hand page contains a large reproduction of a work of art by a variety of artist from around the world.
This is a neat twist on the old game I Spy. A complete art lesson is one simple picture book.
I would recommend this to kids ages 4-8 who are interested in art. It's great for children and parents to look at and discuss together.

Rating:
Summary: Seek and ye shall find...
Review: [This review first appeared in the "Ephrata (Pa.) Review."]

This book grew out of a version of the kid's game "I Spy" the author played with her children--using paintings by renowned artists such as Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Andy Warhol.

"By making these paintings accessible," she writes, "I was enabling my children to build up a store of images in their own minds which must inevitably lead to some interest in fine art."

Whether or not that happens, it's still fun to locate various geometric shapes in the artwork, such as an oval in Paul Klee's "Around the Fish" or a heart in Fernand Leger's "Composition with Hand and Hats."