The Art of Shapes: For Children and Adults [Hardcover]

Margaret Steele (Author), Cindy Estes (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Uses figures extracted from contemporary works of art to present various shapes, including the star, diamond, and cone.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A far cry from the dull art-history texts you dozed over in school, these whimsical board books use modern masterpieces---by Matisse, Lichtenstein, Warhol, and others---to introduce kids to colors, shapes, and parts of the body. Even the buttocks get their 15 minutes of fame in a David Hockney piece your preschooler is sure to find funny. The colorful trio provides a great simultaneous introduction to reading and the world of fine art. Who knows---they might even give the two of you something to talk about during your next museum trip. -- Parent's Magazine, February 1999

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Fotofolio Inc (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0914357506
• ISBN-13: 978-0914357506
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,261,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to art for adults and children., October 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Shapes: For Children and Adults (Hardcover)

This wonderful book caught my eye on a store shelf. My son regularly selects it when its time to read. Page after page he finds something new to tell me about, enthusiastically pointing out what caught his attention. This art book holds up well under a young child's grip. The thick cardboard pages make it easy for children to enjoy it on their own. The book is for adults as well. It works on the play table or the coffee table, it looks that good. My wife and I regularly give this book as a gift, and it is well received. You will have to look a long time to find another way to exposure your children (or yourself) to a wide variety of art in such an entertaining and imaginative way.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sheer creative inspiration, January 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Shapes: For Children and Adults (Hardcover)

My one and a half year old son devours books (literally as well as figuratively) but none has been so pleasing to his palate as The Art of Shapes. On one side of the pages of this board book are famous works of modern art by artists from Matisse to Cindy Sherman. On each of the facing pages is a shape (square, circle, cone) that has been extracted from the artwork. My son stares at both the works of art and the shapes with hypnotic intensity, turning the book every which way in order to better imbibe the luscious images. Then when he's done with it, I stare at the art and the shapes, read the illuminating and delightful descriptions of the art, and then stare some more. This very intelligent, beautiful book is the expression of sheer creative inspiration on the part of the authors as well as the artists represented--and it is sure to inspire myriad future Einsteins and O'Keefes. Both my son and I greatly look forward to Steele and Este's next book. Jenny and Tommaso McPhee

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FUN, November 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Shapes: For Children and Adults (Hardcover)

the art work is swell, fun and eye catching. my 4yo thought he knew everything about shapes(as all 4yo think they know it all) but he was suprised how much fun it was to read, he likes to read it himself and find the shapes in the art work. now when he looks at art, he sees that art is shapes! thanks for a great little board book.