Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hair
PreSchool-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, withMona Lisa's Hairfeaturing the work of the Renaissance andVan Gogh's Bedthe Impressionists. For each reproduction, a tactile element has been superimposed; for example, an earring on Vermeer'sGirl with a Pearl Earringand 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 Cézanne still life, the eyeglasses on the man in Grant Wood'sAmerican Gothic), despite the relatively large size of the books. Each selection is identified and accompanied by a brief text. The text ofMona Lisa's Hairis 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 Fishopts for a more successful format, with the repetitive refrain of "What a busy day!"Van Gogh's Bedfeatures a lively rhyming scheme, while that inWarhol's Topis 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, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.