April 21, 2008
5 Minutes for Books — Experiencing Art for Kids
Hello Rousseau! and Hello Matisse!, both by Catherine de Duve, allow kids to get to know the artists through historical background, stories, and activities that put the reader into the fun. The reader is asked to draw a landscape in the style of Rousseau, looking closely at his style. The book encourages the reader to experiment with color techniques and shades, and invites the child to respond to write a story in response to one of the paintings.
These thin books would be a great take-along on a trip or a wonderful rainy day activity. I think they would be appropriate for kids interested in art from seven up to twelve.
Gallery Ghost takes children on a mysterious hunt through the National Gallery in Washington D.C. Readers search the paintings for places where the Gallery Ghosts (other artists) have inserted items into the wrong paintings. This is a fun book and definitely appeals to the mystery-solver in my nine-year-old daughter, and it’s also educational. In order to find the items inserted, you have to refer back to the pages which describe each artist’s style. There is a scorecard at the back of the book where the reader can keep track of the number of times that each specific ghost’s work appears. The ghost who has popped into the most other paintings is the one who will be rewarded by Sarah, the art student who is tracking the changes.
This would be a great book to prepare for a trip to the National Gallery or as a memento to extend the experiences from a previous trip. It would be most appropriate for nine-year-olds and up.
One reader (U.S. shipping addresses only) will win a copy of all three books. Please leave a comment if you are interested in winning and check back here in next week’s column to see if you have won.
The winners of the first three books in the The Lucky Foot Stable Series are #22, Nikki, and #63 Susan Chester.
Filed under * Feature Columns, 5 Minutes for Books, Children's Books, Contests, Product Reviews by Jennifer
88 Comments on 5 Minutes for Books — Experiencing Art for Kids »
#1 - Carrie K. @ 12:26 am
Ooh, the first comment! These would be great for homeschooling.
#2 - Laura @ Laura Williams' Musings @ 12:40 am
I would love to win these for the children!
#3 - Jamie W. @ 1:18 am
My husband can’t wait to take our girls to D.C. and this would be a great thing to use to get them excited about the trip!
#4 - melody is slurping life @ 1:19 am
As an art-inclined homeschooling mom, please enter me.
#5 - Kristen M. @ 1:20 am
I’d love these. The National Gallery of Art also has an awesome interactive website for kids.
http://www.nga.gov/kids/
#6 - Jen @ 1:23 am
My 9 year old would love these!!
#7 - Angie @ Many Little Blessings @ 1:42 am
Oh…these would be perfect for when we start homeschooling next year! We would love these!
#8 - Noreen @ 2:04 am
We would really enjoy these books
#9 - marybeth @ 5:53 am
i would love these books.
#10 - Deb @ 6:13 am
I love to read with the kids. Please include me.
#11 - Michelle Pendergrass @ 7:10 am
Please enter us!
#12 - Kathy @ 8:06 am
We’re homeschoolers too, and I’ve got an artist in the making in my 11 year old son. I’d love to win these. Kathy
#13 - Kellyn @ 8:25 am
My kids would love this one! Thanks
#14 - Robyn @ 8:36 am
I am always looking for good art books for my children! Thanks!
#15 - Melanie @ 8:50 am
Oh, this sounds lovely for my 9 year old budding artist!
#16 - Daphne (One Mom in Alabama) @ 8:53 am
my son would love these, please enter us
#17 - Michael @ 8:54 am
Great contest, count me in! Thanks!
#18 - Liz @ 9:02 am
I love introducing kids to art. These sound perfect. Count me in!
#19 - Mama Zen @ 9:07 am
This sounds like a fabulous book!
#20 - Cassidy @ 9:34 am
These books sound great. My kids would love them. Count me in.
#21 - Sandra @ 9:36 am
Those look like wonderful books!
#22 - Michele @ 9:47 am
Sounds wonderful…count me in!
#23 - Poopsy @ 9:51 am
I love that! And Matisse is so vibrant.
#24 - Demetra @ 9:52 am
Love art and my niece loves books. Way a great way to familiarize her with art! Thanks!
#25 - Megret @ 9:53 am
We have just finished studying about art and artists. This would be perfect! Thanks!
#26 - Nodin's Nest @ 9:58 am
We look at works of the masters together all the time! He would love these!
#27 - jenna @ 10:04 am
I would really enjoy these for teaching my kids - I am artistically challenged.
#28 - Nodinsnest @ 10:06 am
My son would love thes!
#29 - Shannon @ some fine taters @ 10:20 am
Count me in!
#30 - Deanne S @ 10:20 am
I love reading to my son. This would be a nice addition to our collection of books.
*****THANKS*****
#31 - Becky @ 10:39 am
Please enter me, thanks!
Becky
#32 - Ashley @ 10:43 am
please enter me!
#33 - Sonja @ 11:04 am
As an artist myself, and 2 budding artist, I jump at anything I can use to help teach the arts to my children… thanks for offering this!!
#34 - Vickie Couturier @ 11:47 am
wow,what a nice gift,please count me in,my kids would love this
#35 - Alicia @ Experiencing Each Moment @ 12:00 pm
These look awesome! I bought Brush Mona Lisa’s Hair to expose my kids to famous artwork, and I would love to have more books on this!
#36 - Helen Keeler @ 12:11 pm
Nice prize! The kids will love this.
#37 - Patricia Hill @ 12:31 pm
Great prize! I would love these for my grandkids!
#38 - Belinda Abel @ 1:14 pm
What a neat way to encourage interest in art, count us in please.
#39 - Michelle Rosborough @ 1:42 pm
My daughter would like this book
#40 - Charla @ 2:00 pm
Count me in!! Thanks
#41 - Gina @ 2:03 pm
We love collecting books!
#42 - Kim @ 2:08 pm
This looks like a wonderful book.
#43 - Laura Ch. @ 3:00 pm
These books may find their way into little hands… but I think the National Gallery ghost hunt sounds fun for me! LOL. I was enthralled with The Da Vinci Code. Thank you for the great giveaway!
#44 - Jeni @ 3:51 pm
These sound great! Thanks!
#45 - Bebemiqui @ 4:02 pm
Great giveaway! Count me in. bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com
#46 - jp26 @ 4:16 pm
My little artists would love these books!
#47 - Kathy Conley @ 4:19 pm
This is a wonderful prize
#48 - Naomi @ 4:24 pm
These would be a great resource for Roo and Jasper to have.
#49 - Cindi @ 5:39 pm
What a wonderful set of books. I love the premise behind them! Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi
#50 - Kathy LaFrenier @ 7:42 pm
My grandkids would really enjoy this prize.
#51 - Anita Yancey @ 8:17 pm
These books sound great. Hope I win.
#52 - DARIJAVAN @ 8:30 pm
These books look great
#53 - amy k @ 8:34 pm
I would love to read these with my lil ones!
#54 - Morning Rose @ 9:09 pm
Please enter me.
#55 - Carol Rene' Brown @ 9:23 pm
What a FANTASTIC Giveaway!!!!
I adore children books plus reading & carefully discussing the illustrations, ideas and story lines is one of my favorite things to do with my 3 year old nephew & 4 year old daughter! (SMILE)….
The ARTS are so very very important!! These 3 books sound GREAT!!! Finding books that INSPIRE Are GRAND!!!!
The Inner Child in all moms, dads, and other family members will have such a Wonder Filled time hunting throught each book with that special child!!!
LOVE to win these!!!!
#56 - Ginnie @ 6:23 am
My granddaughter loves to read. Please enter me. Thanks!
#57 - LeeAnn Prescott @ 8:12 am
my little budding artist would adore these books!
#58 - stampedwithgrace @ 8:52 am
my girls would enjoy reading these
#59 - LivingforGod @ 10:39 am
Please count me in. Thanks!
#60 - Gina Peters @ 11:36 am
Please include me, I love these.
#61 - Kimbrah @ 12:36 pm
My kids already love art, so these would be great for us to learn even more! Thanks!
#62 - Anita @ 2:41 pm
These books look great!
#63 - Sara @ 3:29 pm
My girls are a little young (ok way too young) for these but I know some other little girls with upcoming birthdays who would love these books.
#64 - susan @ 3:45 pm
Here is a family favorite around our house:
I Spy: An Alphabet in Art by Lucy Micklethwait (Author)
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/17735/Lucy_Micklethwait/index.aspx
At the MOMA:
I Spy Shapes in Art
By Lucy Micklethwait
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_I%20spy%20shapes%20in%20art_10451_10001_46025
#65 - Jennifer C. @ 5:03 pm
I think these would be a fantastic addition to our home library! Thanks!
#66 - holly @ 6:44 pm
My kids would love these books! We want to win!!
#67 - Michelle @ 7:54 pm
I would love to win these for our home library. I have been trying to collect a few art history books for my kids.
#68 - Tamara Cosby @ 9:13 pm
Just finished an art class for educators and we studied Matisse, I love the idea of these books! Would love to win!!! Thank yoU!!!!
#69 - Valerie @ 2:55 am
I’ve been looking for an art book like that forever! I hope I win!
#70 - Samantha Pruitt @ 4:23 am
this sounds so great!
#71 - Nissa @ 10:30 am
My 12 year old loves art- this would be perfect for him!
#72 - Holly @ 12:45 pm
My boy’s would love to read these!
#73 - C Duran @ 1:38 pm
They look like great books!
#74 - John Z @ 1:42 pm
Like the books though probably a little young for them. Easy to put away and save.
#75 - Jennifer W @ 12:12 am
My daughter would LOVE thse books!
#76 - Janna @ 2:19 am
These would be great for our homeschool library, please enter us…
Janna
http://www.cornhuskeracademy.blogspot.com
#77 - Sylvia Porter @ 6:14 am
this sounds great!
#78 - ashley @ 11:10 am
would love these books.
#79 - Angela @ 11:28 am
These sound wonderful, count me in!
#80 - Janna @ 5:47 pm
I would love to be entered to win these books!
#81 - Pamela White @ 11:35 am
What a great way to introduce art and critical thinking.
#82 - Kristie Noguera @ 2:20 pm
Great books.
#83 - MoneyMom @ 10:15 pm
Great website ..
If any of you Mom’s needs some tips on making a little extra cash … great ideas below.
http://freedollars.wordpress.com/
#84 - Mom Of 3 Girls » Blog Archive » Contest round-up #34 @ 11:15 pm
[…] at 5 Minutes For Mom you could win three books (Hello Rousseau!, Hello Matisse!, and Gallery Ghost) by Catherine de Duve, one of two Alvin and the […]
#85 - Audrey b @ 12:10 am
what wonderful books, please enter me.
#86 - kathy pease @ 7:33 pm
please enter me
#87 - Caryn Bailey @ 2:29 am
Sounds awesome!
#88 - Hannah @ 11:40 pm
pick # 87 (me) :P!