Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hair by Julie Appel, Amy Guglielmo

From the Publisher

The "Touch the Art" series is a fresh, funny introduction to fine art for kids.

"Jump inside" the paintings with fun, tactile pages that introduce children to the works of the world's greatest artists and their famous paintings. Each book in the "Touch the Art" series gives kids the chance to tug, snap, lift and pull their way through art history.

The mysterious Mona Lisa could use a little grooming--so go ahead and brush her long black hair! Continue with the Old Masters by touching the large, lacy collar of Frans Hals’ The Laughing Cavalier, petting the horse’s tail in Velazquez’s Prince Baltasar Carlos on Horseback, and arranging the snappy elastic hair in Boticcelli’s The Birth of Venus. Other paintings come from Vermeer, de la Tour, Raphael, and Van Eyck.

Children's Literature

One in the "Touch the Art" series, these board books will expose very young children to famous artists and important periods in art history. This book introduces great art from the masters of the Renaissance to the Baroque periods. The cover features one of the most famous paintings—da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Kids can touch her hair. With Boticelli's The Birth of Venus, the clips in her hair have been modified to provide something to touch. Kids may get a real kick out of the tail of Prince Balthasar Carlos or smile at the fancy collar in Franz Hals's "The Laughing Cavalier." The closing pages, entitled "Artifacts," present information about the paintings and their respective artists. These books could be used with any age group and in art programs. Teachers could challenge kids to make their own reproductions and to add a tactile element. Others in the series include Feed Matisse's Fish, Make Van Gogh's Bed, and Pop Warhol's Top.

School Library Journal

PreS-K-These board books, illustrated with some of the most famous Western masterpieces, encourage children to "touch the art." Each volume draws on a particular period, with Mona Lisa's Hair featuring the work of the Renaissance and Van Gogh's Bed the Impressionists. For each reproduction, a tactile element has been superimposed; for example, an earring on Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and a piece of tulle on one of Degas' ballerinas. In some cases the feature is small and somewhat hard to find (the fuzz on the peaches in a C zanne still life, the eyeglasses on the man in Grant Wood's American Gothic), despite the relatively large size of the books. Each selection is identified and accompanied by a brief text. The text of Mona Lisa's Hair is mostly interrogative and less engaging than the other books. It asks, "Do you have a mustache too?" Will children find this silly or condescending? Matisse's Fish opts for a more successful format, with the repetitive refrain of "What a busy day!" Van Gogh's Bed features a lively rhyming scheme, while that in Warhol's Top is more forced (delicious/nutritious/lettuce/messes). The final pages of the books include a date, location, and a description, along with biographical information on the artist for each "artifact." While the idea of introducing children to art at an early age is a noble one, pairing the touch-and-feel format to fine paintings doesn't quite work.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Product Details