Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime! [Hardcover]

Anna Nilsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2000 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The Museum of Art has a big problem. Some of the museum's priceless masterpieces have been stolen and replaced by cunning forgeries! Are your eyes sharp enough to spot the differences between the fake and the real Rousseau? Hone your detective skills and find the tell-tale clues that will help the police track down the master forgers, and bring back the missing masterpieces. This one-of-a-kind book combines a mystery story, fun spot-the-difference puzzles, and a fantastic introduction to some of the world's greatest art. Guaranteed to enthrall children of all ages, Art Fraud Detective includes historical information on each painting, tips on the techniques of the Old Masters, and a glossary of art terms. Features art by: Rembrandt; Constable; Monet; Picasso; Raphael; Van Gogh; and more!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-A clever "spot the difference" book that also serves as a good introduction to art history. Using a comic-strip format, Nilsen alerts readers to the fact that 30 of these 34 paintings are fakes. A double spread identifies the 16 suspected forgers, the symbol their particular gang hides on each forgery, and the number of changes (one to four) they deliberately added to each painting. The premise is to figure out which character forged which classic piece, and to determine which one of them snitched. The paintings, which include Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asni?res and Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, are ingeniously depicted in their original and altered forms on split pages featuring the forgeries above and the museum catalog below. Readers are supposed to match up the forger with the artwork (a magnifying glass enables them to verify their detective work). The catalog pages briefly describe the artists' lives, their work, and the showcased piece. This approach should prove popular; it's something of a Where's Waldo (Candlewick) for older children. Although the paintings date from the 15th to the 20th century, no American artwork is presented.
Carol Fazioli, formerly at The Brearley School, New York City
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Children who like hunting for small differences in detailed pictures may enjoy this large-format book, produced in association with England's National Gallery. In the framework story, a security guard at "the Museum of Art," which happens to have a fine collection of 34 European masterpieces, asks young readers to play detective. He has just received a call telling him that 30 of these works are fakes. By closely comparing the museum's paintings with pictures of the originals, readers can discover which are real and (since each forger leaves a distinctive trademark) who made each forgery. The reproduction of the paintings is excellent, and the paragraphs of information about the paintings, by artists such as Botticelli, Holbein, da Vinci, Picasso, Turner, and van Gogh, are well-written and entertaining. It remains to be seen, though, whether children will have the patience to match both versions of the painting, search for the tiny clues, and draw conclusions about the forgers. Still, an original effort in art appreciation. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; 1st edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753453088
• ISBN-13: 978-0753453087
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art > History

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interactive Art History Lesson, November 18, 2000

By 

Leslie Furbush (Waterford, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime! (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful, unusually instructional and engaging book introducing children (and adults!) to an enormous range of master artworks spanning 500 or so years. It sold out immediately at our school book fair and has been ordered by many members of the faculty and by parents. We couldn't keep the kids away from it! With it's 'game' format including a magnifier, it is lots of fun and fairly challenging. For the holidays, I'm using it as a centerpiece with accompanying art supplies for family gifts. And, what a great price!

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-done changes get you to look closely, June 29, 2001

By 

Leptoquark (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime! (Hardcover)

This is a very clever book, and well executed. Some of the small changes to the paintings are very clever, and have been very well-done on a computer. You really have to look the whole painting over closely, since the way the mystery is designed, you might not be sure you have all the changes. I had to go back on several and look them over again to make sure I had everything, and it was fun to discover a change I had missed the first time. It is true as another reviewer wrote that the "answer" appears right under the last page of painting, so it would be easy to glance at it. The author made the print small, thinking one would need the magnifying glass to see it, but she should have made it smaller still. I could easily read it naked-eye. The fun part of the book, though, is not so much to identify the good-guy, but to completely find all the changes in the paintings. If you do it right, without cheating, it's a lot of fun.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art Fraud Detective, March 9, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime! (Hardcover)

This is a good book for any age. This book helps you learn how to look at details and requires you to be a detective and you can even use a magnifying glass!!! It is very intersting book because it tells the story behind the pictures. It is really fasanating to see al the picturesand will be appealing for anyone. I gave it five stars not only because it is a good story but also because it is educational. Teachers will love it and students will be begging for the book for weeks. This book will be a very good choice if your are a teacher or even if you are a grownup who just wants to learn mor about the pictures.