Tell Me a Picture
Kindergarten-Grade 6-Believing that enjoyment of the art in picture books can be a prelude to pleasure in a museum, Blake designed an exhibit (with the same title as this book) at the National Gallery in London. The images in the show and on these pages come from European children's books and Great Britain's galleries and were chosen for their story potential. Blake's signature caricatures cavort and converse before and after each of the 26 pictures, modeling responses that invite imitation. His arrangement is alphabetical by artist, from Hendrick Avercamp to Lisbeth Zwerger. ("X," however, is an X ray of an underpainting, sure to fascinate since it is different from the surface.) Four pages are devoted to each entry. Initially, sketches of children, outlined in black and dabbed with gray/blue patches of color, carry signs that announce the artist's name. The spread that follows includes a blank, white page and then the featured art-a presentation that minimizes distraction. The fourth page provides the young visitors' emotional responses to the work. ("Nobody would buy that." "What do you think that music sounded like?") Most entries will be unfamiliar to American audiences, and some details are difficult to discern. As with any stroll through a museum, what strikes one's fancy is completely idiosyncratic. Blake's approach is an engaging path to art appreciation, with plenty of child appeal. The book concludes with illustrated and annotated attributions for each work and a list of locations/credits. A welcome addition to the realm of visual literacy for families and educators.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.