Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

What is this? A bonus post? Hmmm.

Happy Saturday. Saturdays are reserved for those rare times when I want to say something that has nothing to do with art.

I want to recommend a great book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith called Math Curse. A boy’s teacher, Mrs. Fibonacci, suggests that “you can think of almost everything as a math problem.” When the boy wakes up the next morning, math is all around him. It’s in his morning routine, it’s at lunch, it’s in social studies, English, and P.E. classes. The boy just can’t escape the math curse!

There are references to math concepts that students won’t learn until middle school or high school but they’re subtle. For instance, though the math teacher’s name is Mrs. Fibonacci, it doesn’t matter that a third grader wouldn’t know what the Fibonacci Sequence is. I think this would be a great book to read to upper-elementary-level math students on the first day of class.

There is another book in this series, Science Verse, that I do not recommend for young students. Unlike Math Curse, when reading Science Verse it is important to understand the upper-level science concepts to find enjoyment in the book. If you read Science Verse to elementary school students, you would have to spend a lot of time explaining ideas.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

56140 / 60000 words. 94% done!
One more day to go!

Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan

Since it’s Monday, this is a very late edition of Fantastic Fiction Friday. While not necessarily an art book, Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan is a great book to use as a read aloud when learning about African Djembe Drums or making your own drum.

Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum is a collection of African stories that have been passed down from generation to generation in story and song. During these storytelling session, someone often kept the beat on a drum. What I love about this book is the rhythm of the sentences. You can easily imagine the drum beat when you read this book. The stories beg to be read aloud.

The book includes five stories, each of which includes a lesson, though the lessons are a bit darker than what we are used to in the U.S. For example, the first story is about a frog and a hen who are trying to escape a storm. As the storm approaches, Hen builds a house and a bed, collects corn, and rolls some pumpkins onto the roof. Frog refuses to help. When his hole floods he weasels his way into Hen’s house by threatening to call the cat. In the end, Hen sends Frog to the roof to get a pumpkin where he is scooped up by a hawk. Hen eats her pumpkin with satisfaction.

I recommend this book for 3rd graders and older.

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Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz

It’s Friday! You know what that means.

Today’s Fantastic (Non)Fiction Friday pick has nothing to do with Andy Warhol. Or Pop Art. Sorry if you were looking forward to that. Hopefully I’ll stumble upon a good Andy Warhol book in the future.

Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, an inventor, an architect, an engineer, a musician. He was many things other than an artist and he had widespread dreams. One of those dreams was to build a bronze horse that was three times the size of a living horse.

Da Vinci was hired by the duke of Milan to build this horse. He sculpted the massive horse out of clay but couldn’t figure out to cast it in bronze.

Jean Fritz tells this story in Leonardo’s Horse. But the story doesn’t stop there. Fritz shows us how Leonardo finally got his horse, 500 years later.

This is a lovely story that would be a good read aloud, especially for children in 2nd or 3rd grade. I especially love how clearly this book explains how such a large sculpture is cast into bronze.

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Roy Lichtenstein's ABCs by Bob Adelman

Roy Lichtenstein’s art stars in Bob Adelman's Roy Lichtenstein's ABCs. This is a great ABC book. If you have young children you should check it out.

Each letter, taken straight from a Lichtenstein painting, occupies its own page with a short list of words that begin with that letter. On the facing page is a painting that contains the objects listed. Kids can search for the items in the painting while studying a great artist’s work and learning their ABCs.

Adults who like Lichtenstein’s work will enjoy sharing this book with their children.

There are lots of ABC books out there but this one is special.

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Roy Lichtenstein: The Artist at Work

Welcome to Fantastic Non-Fiction Friday!

I didn’t tell you much yesterday about how Roy Lichtenstein creates his giant Pop paintings. He uses some unusual tools and techniques. For example, after he has sketched what he wants his painting to look like, he uses a projector to make the image larger. He then copies the larger picture onto his canvas. He also uses tape to help him paint sharp, clear lines.

It’s not often that we get to watch an artist at work in his studio but Lou Ann Walker gives us that opportunity in Roy Lichtenstein: The Artist at Work. Walker tells the story of how Lichtenstein creates his paintings, from the idea to the sketch to the finished product.

What I really love about this book is the photographs. You get to see Lichtenstein in his studio, studying a canvas, sketching, taping, and mixing paint. He looks joyful as he paints. You can’t help but smile at the pictures.

Check back later in the day for another book recommendation!

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Here's Looking at Me by Bob Raczka

I went through all the trouble of naming Fantastic Fiction Fridays and today’s book is non-fiction!

So today is Fantastic (Non-)Fiction Friday.

Bob Raczka’s Here’s Looking at Me is the perfect introduction to self-portraits. Raczka tells the story of 14 self-portraits, beginning with the very first self-portrait ever painted and ending with a photographer who is still creating art today.

You’ll recognize many of the artists in Here’s Looking at Me, such as Jacob Lawrence, Henri Rousseau, Vincent van Gogh, and Jan Vermeer. You may also discover artists you never have heard of.

Each story that Raczka tells is engaging and fun. Do you know why Marc Chagall gave himself seven fingers in his self-portrait? Do you know why Francisco de Goya used to put candles in the brim of his hat? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

This book is a great resource if you’re studying self-portraits or even autobiographies. And it’s an interesting book for anyone who likes art. I highly recommend it!

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Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilsen

I was at the book store yesterday and came across a great book. Anna Nilsen’s Art Fraud Detective is a clever find-the-difference book that allows readers to compare paintings to slightly messed-up fakes.

The pages are split with the fakes on the top and the originals on the bottom. Each original painting appears next to an artist biography. The biographies are written for ages 9-12 but younger children can also enjoy studying the paintings.

Some paintings have not been changed, some have only one change, some have two, three, or four. Each painting that has been replaced with a fake includes a hidden symbol that tells you who created the fake. When you have studied every painting and discovered who created the fakes, you will be able to solve the big mystery: who is the good guy?

The book includes 34 paintings. Many are by artists you have already read about on this blog. Van Eyck, Botticelli, Raphael, da Vinci, Brueghel, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, Monet, Seurat, Rousseau, van Gogh, and Picasso are all featured in Art Fraud Detective.

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The Second Mrs. Gioconda by E.L. Konigsburg

If you are interested in Leonardo da Vinci, and there is a lot more to him than what I told you yesterday, you should read The Second Mrs. Gioconda by E. L. Konigsburg.

You may remember E. L. Konigsburg as the author of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. She is a fantastic writer and The Second Mrs. Gioconda is another great story.

In this novel meant for readers ages 9-12, Konigsburg gives one possible story of the painting of the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is an incredibly mysterious painting. We don’t really know much about the woman in the painting and we don’t know what led Leonardo da Vinci to paint her portrait. Konigsburg answers these questions (but remember this book is fiction).

The main character is Salai, one of Leonardo’s servants. Salai never had talent for painting. He was dishonest and he was a thief. Nevertheless, Leonardo liked the boy and kept him around. It is through Salai that you will get to know Leonardo.

I recommend checking out this book.

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Linnea in Monet's Garden

Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Cristina Bjork is a long (56 pages) picture book, meant for ages 9-12. Depending on the child, it is also an excellent read-aloud for younger children.

Bjork invites you to travel with Linnea and her elderly friend, Mr. Bloom, to Paris and Giverny where Monet lived and worked. Stroll through Monet’s garden with Linnea as she discovers the source of the great artist’s inspiration for his water lily paintings. View the river Seine in Paris as Monet saw it. And visit a museum with Linnea to more about Impressionism and Monet’s paintings.

Gorgeous water color illustrations of Linnea’s adventures compliment the text. The book also includes black and white photos of Monet and his garden, as well as pictures of his paintings.

The book was also made into an animated movie. I have not seen it but it looks good. If you’ve seen the movie, Linnea in Monet’s Garden, please post a comment and let me know what you thought!

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Current NaNoEdMo Hour Count: 7/50hours
You'll notice that I'm still a little behind...

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

I know I said I’d post on a topic related to yesterday’s post, the painting demonstration but I want to show you a specific picture that I can’t seem to find. Last week I had a computer crash and, while I am certain I have those pictures backed up somewhere, I’m sure where there are. So it will have to wait for another time.

It’s been awhile since I posted a book review and I have come across a novel, meant for ages 8-12, in which a Frank Lloyd Wright house is a character. Sounds pretty cool, huh? It’s called The Wright 3, by Blue Balliett, and is the sequel to Chasing Vermeer.

Robie House, a Wright-designed house in Chicago, Illinois, is being threatened with demolition. Petra, Calder, and Tommy must learn to get along as a trio and use their diverse talents to save to house. But they aren’t the only ones determined to save the Wright’s creations; Robie House itself is determined to fight back.

Balliett does an excellent job of providing details about Robie House and about Frank Lloyd Wright. I recommend, however, that you bookmark this page so you can look at the pictures of Robie House, shown below, as you read.

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Book: Of Flowers and Shadows

Of Flowers and Shadows by Anna Kirwan is the fictional story of one of Winslow Homer’s paintings, Girl and Laurel. It is meant for readers in grades 4-6 but I loved and I'm much older than a 6th grader!

Aurelia Sandborn was orphaned in a shipwreck and left with very few clues about her past. She wonders about her family often. Aurelia goes to work for a family in Boston, Massachusetts in order to support herself and it is here that she meets the artist, Winslow Homer, and becomes his model.

This is a finely drawn story of a girl, her first love, and her discovery of her past, set in a well-researched 1878 Boston. Kirwan does an excellent job creating a personality for Winslow Homer, and the story she crafted for a model we have no historical account of is extremely creative and engaging. I highly recommend this book.

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

12000 / 50000 words. 24% done!

I know... I wrote only 550 words today and that hardly warrants a new meter. I've been fizzling a little but I'm still not too far behind. I hope to double my word count in the next four days so wish me luck!

Book: The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla is actually the sequel to the Chalk Box Kid but you can enjoy it on its own. This book for grades 2-4 is about a child-artist named Gregory who wants to do a huge, fun art project. When his friend Uncle Pancho finds out that he is about to lose his house, Gregory knows what his art project will be. He paints a huge mural all the way around Uncle Pancho’s house! You’ll have to read the book to find out if Gregory can save his friend’s house.

This is book is great for kids who can read on their own who like stories about friendship and painting.

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My NaNoWriMo Word Count:

10301 / 50000 words. 21% done!

Pop-Up Books: A History

The first pop-up book (or moveable book) was not for kids. It was a book about astronomy, published around 1306. In the book, a series of wheels were attached together so they could spin. The circles could be rotated to illustrate theories. For the next 400 years, pop-up books were used only by scholars.

In the 1700s people began creating pop-up books for kids.

One company, Dean & Son, made about 50 titles between 1860 and 1900. Each element of the scene was attached to the one in front of it with a piece of ribbon. When the ribbon was pulled, the whole scene popped up.

Because pop-up books are so complex, each book must be put together by hand. This was true in the 1800s and it is still true today.

Lothar Meggendorfer created some of the most complicated and original pop-up books of the 1800s. It wasn’t enough for one scene to pop-up on each page; Meggendorfer often had half a dozen parts of a scene moving at once and in different directions. Below is an example of a Meggendorfer pop-up.

The first pop-up book that resembled the books we’re used to was created in 1929 by S. Louis Giraud. The illustrations in the book popped up automatically when the reader opened the book rather than when the reader pulled a string or tab. Pop-up books continued to be popular as a growing number of talented artists created unique books. An example of a pop-up by Giraud is shown below.
Check out this gallery of pop-up books through the years, put together by Rutgers University.

Come back tomorrow to make your own simple pumpkin pop-up card.

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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

I just finished re-reading E. L. Konigsburg’s Newberry Award Winning, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and I love it as much now as I did when I first read it nearly fifteen years ago. It is a truly timeless book and one that can be enjoyed by eight year olds and eighty year olds alike.

Claudia Kincaid doesn’t want to be the same old girl anymore; she longs to be different. So she plans and organizes until she is ready to go out and make herself different. She convinces her younger brother Jamie to run away with her—just for a little while, just long enough to teach her parents a lesson—to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Once there, the siblings become determined to solve an art mystery that has stumped even the art experts. Only when she solves the mystery, and discovers what she needs to feel different, can Claudia return to home.

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Free Books For Kids

This post has nothing to do with art. This is about reading: something else I’m passionate about. Read on to find out what you can do to make sure everyone gets the chance to learn to read.

Reading is one of the most important skills you will ever learn. If you never learn how to read you won’t be able to order food at a restaurant or find your way around a city. You won’t be able to graduate from school. If you never learn to read you’ll never know the pleasure of getting lost in the world of a good book. But many families can’t afford to buy books for their kids and this can mean that those kids never become good readers.

You may have noticed the orange button on the right side of the screen. Click the button and you’ll see a large, rectangular, orange button that says “Click Here to Give—It’s Free!” When you click that button the website’s sponsors give money to buy books for kids in poor families. You should click everyday so lots of kids can have books to read. Every click helps and it doesn’t cost you a thing!

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Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett, is an exciting mystery about the quest of two sixth graders, Petra and Calder, to save a work of art from a thief. Through a series of coincidences too related to be accidental, the two collect clues and learn about Vermeer’s art along the way. Even Brett Helquist’s chapter illustrations contain a mystery. This book never fails to involve the audience. It even includes a secret coded language that the reader must use to understand parts of the book.

You don’t need to know anything about the seventeenth-century Dutch painter, Vermeer to understand and enjoy this thrilling story. Blue Balliett tells you all you need to know in this novel meant for readers 9 years and older. If you’d like to learn anyway, please read yesterday’s article, Artist Profile: Johannes Vermeer.

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