Unlikely Pairs: Fun With Famous Works of Art (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures)
Grade 4 Up–Raczka deserves an A+ for cleverness. He begins by explaining his premise: one work of art can take on new meaning when combined with another. Then, without further commentary, he couples famous pieces in a way that suggests a new, humorous scene. Rodin'sThe Thinkeris juxtaposed with Klee's modernistic painting of a chessboard so that the statue looks as if it is contemplating the next move. Siméon-Chardin's picture of a boy blowing soap bubbles seems to be creating Kandinsky'sSeveral Circles. Each selection takes up a page and is reproduced in crisp color. The book ends with a catalog that includes thumbnail illustrations and short paragraphs that go beyond artist and date to reveal interesting details about the works. More subtle than Jon Scieszka'sSeen Art?(Viking 2005), this book is an amusing way to introduce children to famous works of art.–Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.