Oooh! Picasso

Category: Books,Children's Books,Arts, Music & Photography

Oooh! Picasso Details

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 4—In this companion volume to Oooh! Matisse (Tricycle, 2007), Niepold and Verdu introduce five of Picasso's sculptures. For each one, a close-up detail of the artwork is shown first, along with the question, "What is this?" Two more spreads present zoomed-in images with possible answers, followed by a third spread showing the entire sculpture along with a statement like, "oooh! i am a guitar." Bull's Head is the final work, and the bicycle seat turned horned animal is sure to impress children. Bold text floating on bright solid-color pages complements the pictures. A photo of the artist is appended along with reproductions of the artworks and identifying information. Found-object sculptures easily lend themselves to a discussion of how everyday items can be seen as something more. Shared one-on-one or in small groups, this book will ignite readers' imaginations and is both an effective gateway to art appreciation for young children and a fun exercise for elementary students.—Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more From Booklist Typically the kindergarten set aren’t the ones clamoring toward the latest Picasso exhibit, but it’s hard to imagine a better way to get young minds thinking creatively about art appreciation than this entry in the Oooh! Artist series. Using the same slow-reveal technique as Oooh! Matisse (2007), Niepold and Verdu exhibit five sets of sculptures Picasso created from found art, showing them one detail at a time. “What is this?” asks the narrator as readers scrutinize an odd array of boards laced with four vertical strings. As different areas are shown, the sculpture is reinterpreted (“I am water falling from on high”; “I am a tin moon hooked to the night sky”). Finally, the full sculpture is revealed and the text anticipates its audience’s frantic recognition: “Oooh! I am a guitar!” The colors are almost blindingly bright and the large, chunky shapes of Picasso’s works seem perfect for a picture-book setting. Budding aficionados will appreciate the back matter describing the construction details and completion date of each sculpture. Grades K-2. --Daniel Kraus Read more See all Editorial Reviews

Reviews

I had gotten this book at the local library and we loved it so much that I decided to buy. Great introduction to Pablo Picasso for small children. Very different approach compared to any other book!

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