Our family tends to collect art appreciation books written for kids.
Our latest discovery is Alphab’art
This wonderful book presents a wide variety of art styles and subject matter with paintings by some of the masters of western art including Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Matisse, Giotto, Chagall, Mondrian, and Klee. Many of the paintings in the book came from French museums and private collections (the book was originally published in France) and were unfamiliar to me.
We found that looking for letters in the paintings jump started our conversation about the many other interesting things hidden away in the works of art.
Our daughter felt proud that she spotted three letter O’s in this painting by Henri Matisse. I love the idea that we can find shapes and letters all around us, in pictures, photos, bookshelves, toy bins, doorways, if we really look. We’re surrounded by beautiful, interesting and educational things.
The book has inspired us to go on an alphabet adventure! I feel a photography project coming on…
Curious about other art appreciation books for kids that we love?
Read all of our previous posts on the subject here.
What a great book, and YES, it is definitely time for an old-school-Sesame-Street-style photography project on hidden letters all around us!
There’s a wonderful children’s book that we had when we were growing up of Henri Rousseau’s tiger leaving his painting at the Metropolitan Museum at night and exploring other paintings. I can’t get the internet to tell me what it’s called, but if you come across it, you should definitely get it (and tell me what the title is)!
I can’t wait to see your photography project. :)
I will ask our librarian about it! Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks!! It is a great book!!Thanks for sharing it!