Seen Art? [Hardcover]

Jon Scieszka (Author), Lane Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 1 and up

It all started when I told my friend Art I would meet him on the corner of Fifth and Fifty-Third.
I didn't see him. So I asked a lady walking up the avenue, "Have you seen Art?"
"MoMA?" asked the lady.
"Uh . . . no, he's just a friend."
"Just down Fifty-Third Street here. In a beautiful new building. You can't miss it."
When this address turns out to be the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, confusion and hilarity ensue. As the narrator continues looking for Art inside MoMA, he is introduced to well-known pieces of art such as Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Matisse's The Red Studio, as well as works by Picasso, Klee, Lichtenstein and others.
In a dynamic collaboration that features comical text and playful illustrations alongside full-color reproductions of the artwork, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith give readers the perfect companion for a visit to MoMA, and an introduction to some of the world's best works of modern art.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up–The collection at the recently re-opened Museum of Modern Art in New York City forms the framework for this cheeky foray into contemporary art appreciation. While trying to find his friend in Manhattan, a boy asks a passerby, "Have you seen Art?" and sets off a chain of events that propels him through the museum on an unexpected journey of artistic discovery. Once inside, every variation of his "where is Art?" request compels helpful museum-goers to respond in a more esoteric fashion as each visitor briefly introduces the works of his or her favorite contemporary artist to the narrator. After a thorough, eye-opening tour, the boy finds himself back where he started. But now when he is asked, "Did you find art?" he resoundingly replies, "YES!" And, on the final page, he does; Art is waiting for him outside the museum doors. The unusually long and narrow shape of the book and the stylized characters echo the modern-art theme while the muted background tones are an effective foil for the well-reproduced if sometimes diminutive artwork. The hip, first-person narrative is deliberately repetitive but becomes somewhat tiresome as the book's length appears to be determined more by providing a broad overview of the museum's holdings than by a compelling plot. Pair this with Anthony Browne's The Shape Game (Farrar, 2003) before a museum visit or as part of an art appreciation unit. For anyone planning a trip to MoMA with a youngster, this is a provocative read.–Carol Ann Wilson, formerly at Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. In November 2004, New York City's Museum of Modern Art reopened in an expanded building. This offering celebrates the new digs and reviews some of the museum's greatest hits. A squiggly haired chap on the streets of New York searches for his friend, named Art. Instead, he is directed to the museum, where he continues to ask for his pal, and museumgoers enthusiastically show him favorite works from the collection. Finally, upon leaving the galleries, the guy finds his friend waiting. The "who's on first" joke makes a flimsy story at best. Also frustrating are the too-small reproductions of the famous artworks that are incorporated into the collage illustrations. What does come through in the irreverent text and the illustrations is the message that art is made in many media and that it can touch each person differently and profoundly. Not a necessary purchase, but this whimsical title might make a good preface to a day at the museum for elementary- and middle-school students. Planned notes about the included artworks weren't available in galley. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670059862
• ISBN-13: 978-0670059867
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 11.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is art?, December 14, 2005

By 

Ashes Sarrico "helpless book nerd" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seen Art? (Hardcover)

What is art? people have been trying to figure this out for centuries. this book introduces the eternal question to children in a fun, silly way, as well as different genres of art and the hilarious pompousness of art critics. the innocent hero just wants to find his friend Art, but everyone keeps showing him new room in the museum. children will appriciate the collage of sparse illustrations and famous art works, as well as the implied commentary about the innocence of children and the silliness of grown-ups.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as others, February 20, 2006

By 

hanging around Amazon "an element of the univ... (Columbia, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seen Art? (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Mr. Sciescka [sic] and Mr. Smith since I discovered their "The True Story of The Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf" about ten (or more) years ago. Their "Stinky Cheese Man" and "Math Curse" and "Science Curse" are wonderful. I find their "Frog Prince" and this book to be a lesser effort.

The book intends to introduce the young audience to the world of modern art. At the end of the book the boy has not found art, and we the readership have not been shown the value of many of these pieces of art either. My personal inclination is that I find many of these pictures and pieces uninformed, unenlightened, and uninteresting, so the value of them is completely lost on me.

As is this book. A cute idea that does not execute well.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seen Art, August 13, 2005

By 

Barbara Brandt "fourkbooks" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seen Art? (Hardcover)

I absolutely love this author. I also love how he takes already often established text and tells a story from another point of view. This books is on Art of some very famous artist. Rich language and lots to learn from this book. Great addition to any children's library and to any art study program.