Luke's Way of Looking [Hardcover]

Nadia Wheatley (Author), Matt Ottley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

All the boys in Luke's art class see things the same way - except for Luke. Luke has his own vision of the world, a wild, colorful, crazy vision, that upsets his art teacher and confuses the other boys. When he just can't face one more difficult day at school, Luke discovers a whole "palace" filled with wild, colorful, crazy pieces of art. It's a whole building, a whold world, where Luke finally feels at home. And knowing about this place, finding it, makes the rest of the world change for him.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Another story of an artistic misfit, this Australian import is saved from formulaic triteness by the quality of its illustrations. Luke is tormented by an art teacher who lacks vision. His pictures are "different" from the work of his peers. If his classmates' apples are red and green, his may be blue. If the assignment is for realism, Luke's use of imagination earns him criticism. One day, Luke plays hooky, visits the art museum, and, for the first time in his life, he "feels at home." Imaginative paintings and sculpture give him the affirmation he needs. When he returns to school, he is ready to follow his own insights with the faith to persevere. Ottley's illustrations give strong meaning to the pictures in Luke's mind. Readers see the dull browns of the schoolroom, the threatening shadow of an overbearing and spiteful teacher, and finally the exuberant works displayed in the museum that give him the courage to persist. This is a very slight story, but one that is sure to have special meaning for students who have difficulty with conformity.
Ruth Semrau, Upshur County Public Library, Gilmer, TX
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Extraordinary illustrations convey the importance of self-expression and introduce children to the value of art museums." -- Museum Store, Winter 2001/2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929132182
• ISBN-13: 978-1929132188
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An utterly charming book, April 13, 2003

By 

Carolinehome "carolinehome" (newton, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luke's Way of Looking (Hardcover)

This is an utterly charming book - it reminds me of The Orange Splot. The illustrations are clever and vibrant and the story will resonate with anyone who views the world from outside the mainstream. This book deserves to be a classic and I am going to buy more copies to give as gifts.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrating creative development and the individual!, March 3, 2005

By 

David R. Larson (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Luke's Way of Looking (Hardcover)

One of our students' (www.kidsnclay.com) parents shared this book with me and I was delighted with its message. It is exactly the same philosophy that we practice here at Kids 'N' Clay and were pleased to see it articulated in such a fun an charming way!

The message is powerful ... about the empowerment and positive emotional development that comes through uninhibited creativity and acknowledgement of the uniqueness of each individual!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amazed at the current selling price!, April 3, 2009

By 

p31Mom (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luke's Way of Looking (Hardcover)

Well, for starters the selling price indicates it is valued to adults who admire the artists work. If you like surreal modern art, you will like this book. However, I thought it was a litte bit scarry for our young son. The art teacher is a mean, scary, almost spooky, old man who is harsh to the boy in the story. The boy takes a trip to the museum on his own (is actually lost) and misses some of school. He is depicted as a nonconformist who does not fit into his school and as a boy the teacher doesn't understand. At the end of the story this hasn't changed. He is just more comfortable with it as he is excited about having found art and an environment that appeal to him and are similar to the way he sees things and creates art. The missing school, the extra mean teacher, the aspect of still not fitting in or finding a way to fit in while still being one's self, the fact that he is not accepted by the school are all aspects of the story that I don't care for. Lastly, the art is surreal and very modern, which is not my taste. I didn't actually read the story to my son for the above mentioned reasons but we did explore it a number of times just to stir his immagination. I just didn't tell him that some of the odd scenes were supposed to be real life scenes that were odd rather than another art picture.

The colors are wonderful and the story is a clever way to incorporate such art into a children's story. If this is the kind of art you like then this may well be a wonderufl book for you. By looking at the going price I can see that I am in a minority!