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.

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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.

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88 Comments

  1. Caryn Bailey says:

    Sounds awesome!

  2. kathy pease says:

    please enter me 🙂

  3. what wonderful books, please enter me.

  4. Pingback: Mom Of 3 Girls » Blog Archive » Contest round-up #34
  5. Kristie Noguera says:

    Great books.

  6. Pamela White says:

    What a great way to introduce art and critical thinking.

  7. I would love to be entered to win these books!

  8. These sound wonderful, count me in!

  9. would love these books.

  10. Sylvia Porter says:

    this sounds great!

  11. Jennifer W says:

    My daughter would LOVE thse books!

  12. Like the books though probably a little young for them. Easy to put away and save.

  13. They look like great books!

  14. My boy’s would love to read these!

  15. My 12 year old loves art- this would be perfect for him!

  16. Samantha Pruitt says:

    this sounds so great!

  17. I’ve been looking for an art book like that forever! I hope I win!

  18. Tamara Cosby says:

    Just finished an art class for educators and we studied Matisse, I love the idea of these books! Would love to win!!! Thank yoU!!!!

  19. I would love to win these for our home library. I have been trying to collect a few art history books for my kids.

  20. My kids would love these books! We want to win!!

  21. Jennifer C. says:

    I think these would be a fantastic addition to our home library! Thanks!

  22. 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.

  23. These books look great!

  24. My kids already love art, so these would be great for us to learn even more! Thanks!

  25. Gina Peters says:

    Please include me, I love these.

  26. LivingforGod says:

    Please count me in. Thanks!

  27. stampedwithgrace says:

    my girls would enjoy reading these 🙂

  28. LeeAnn Prescott says:

    my little budding artist would adore these books!

  29. My granddaughter loves to read. Please enter me. Thanks!

  30. Carol Rene' Brown says:

    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!!!!

  31. Morning Rose says:

    Please enter me.

  32. I would love to read these with my lil ones!

  33. DARIJAVAN says:

    These books look great

  34. Anita Yancey says:

    These books sound great. Hope I win.

  35. Kathy LaFrenier says:

    My grandkids would really enjoy this prize.

  36. What a wonderful set of books. I love the premise behind them! Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi

  37. These would be a great resource for Roo and Jasper to have.

  38. Kathy Conley says:

    This is a wonderful prize

  39. My little artists would love these books!

  40. Bebemiqui says:

    Great giveaway! Count me in. bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com

  41. These sound great! Thanks!

  42. Laura Ch. says:

    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!

  43. This looks like a wonderful book.

  44. We love collecting books!

  45. Michelle Rosborough says:

    My daughter would like this book

  46. Belinda Abel says:

    What a neat way to encourage interest in art, count us in please.

  47. Patricia Hill says:

    Great prize! I would love these for my grandkids!

  48. Helen Keeler says:

    Nice prize! The kids will love this.

  49. 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!

  50. Vickie Couturier says:

    wow,what a nice gift,please count me in,my kids would love this

  51. 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!!

  52. Please enter me, thanks!

    Becky

  53. I love reading to my son. This would be a nice addition to our collection of books.
    *****THANKS*****

  54. Nodinsnest says:

    My son would love thes!

  55. I would really enjoy these for teaching my kids – I am artistically challenged.

  56. Nodin's Nest says:

    We look at works of the masters together all the time! He would love these!

  57. We have just finished studying about art and artists. This would be perfect! Thanks!

  58. Love art and my niece loves books. Way a great way to familiarize her with art! Thanks!

  59. I love that! And Matisse is so vibrant.

  60. Sounds wonderful…count me in!

  61. Those look like wonderful books!

  62. These books sound great. My kids would love them. Count me in.

  63. This sounds like a fabulous book!

  64. I love introducing kids to art. These sound perfect. Count me in!

  65. Great contest, count me in! Thanks!

  66. Daphne (One Mom in Alabama) says:

    my son would love these, please enter us

  67. Oh, this sounds lovely for my 9 year old budding artist!

  68. I am always looking for good art books for my children! Thanks!

  69. My kids would love this one! Thanks

  70. 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

  71. Michelle Pendergrass says:

    Please enter us!

  72. I love to read with the kids. Please include me.

  73. i would love these books.

  74. We would really enjoy these books

  75. Oh…these would be perfect for when we start homeschooling next year! We would love these!

  76. My 9 year old would love these!!

  77. melody is slurping life says:

    As an art-inclined homeschooling mom, please enter me.

  78. 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!

  79. I would love to win these for the children!

  80. Carrie K. says:

    Ooh, the first comment! These would be great for homeschooling.