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Real Adriatic Store - A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet
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List Price: $16.99
Our Price: $11.55
Your Save: $ 5.44 ( 32% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 709.2
EAN: 9780689863011
ISBN: 0689863012
Label: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 40
Publication Date: 2008-09-09
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Studio: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is a remarkable journey of discovery about art and language through painting, collage, and sculpture by Caldecott Honor artist Stephen T. Johnson. With literal renderings of each letter, complete with witty titles and playful, alliterative captions, Johnson's abstract art forges connections between words, objects, and ideas. Can you find the hidden letters? Look closely and you will see a letter C made of colorful candy, a letter H hidden in a hook, and an S in a soft shadow. From A to Z, each stunning, original work of art will stimulate the imagination and creativity of children and adults alike.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Alphabet book collector
Comment: I like to collect alphabet books that focus on an individual topic. An alphabet book that helps explain modern art, very cool.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A is for Amazing
Comment: This is an Amazing Alphabet book for All Ages - words and art come together to challenge the mind and the senses. To hold this book is to have a visual, emotional and intellectual experience.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A is for awesome and amazing.
Comment: I think this book is terrific. It challenges the reader whether child or adult and that's okay. If you want to spend some quality time with your child helping them learn, go for it. If you yourself learn something along the way, bonus. Take the letter E for example. Earthworm, egg, eagle, ear and exclamation point are easy but when you get to enigmatic or elongated get the dictionary. And what a great way to illustrate what the word elongated means by referencing an earthworm. When you get to the Eiffel tower show them how to find France on the map and talk about architecture. Egg and dart is an architectural term. Show them why it's called that.
I am a docent at a significant art museum. You would be surprised what kids can comprehend. Kudos to Mr. Johnson for not being afraid to share complex art concepts with children. Believe me, they can handle it. I can see a grade school teacher or home school teacher using each letter as a lesson plan. This book not only illustrates art concepts and techniques but also shows how math (letter Q and G, golden ratio), science (the letter I), language skills and geography (letter E) find their way into art.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A most unusual A-B-C book
Comment: My son just turned 3, and he's addicted to the alphabet. He has a number of ABC books -- his favorites are Firefighters A to Z and Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! -- and I'm always looking for more to encourage his love of language.
When I first got this book, I found it very appealing. Clearly an immense amount of thought and care went into creating these original images, and each one is an artwork of its own. The images represent many different techniques -- from collage to assemblage to sculpture (including inflatable sculpture!) to installations. The art touches on styles from Pop Art to abstract expressionism to graphic design. Every piece was done specifically for this book, which is a stunning feat in itself. (Technical details are given at the end of the book; I think it would've been nice, especially for the young reader, to provide more informaton on the school or style each artwork represented, and perhaps name representative artists. Some of the pieces seemed to be homages to various artists; I thought I spotted nods to Johns, Liechtenstein, Ernst and others.)
Nevertheless, although I was delighted by the book, I was afraid its abstractness would turn off my toddler. After all, when you're 3, the alphabet alone is abstract enough, without adding additional puzzles to it. Nevertheless, I showed him the book. And he loved it! He enjoyed looking for the hidden letters, and found most of them (even though some of them are in neighboring artworks and I had to point him in the right direction).
I don't think he paid much attention to the words, though. Random sample: "Meditation on the Memory of a Princess ~ Motionless, a man-made, monochromatic magenta mass mimics multiple mattresses and makes a massive mound near a mini mauve marble. (Look for the missing letter M in the letter R.)" I thought it was amusing, but no toddler's going to understand it. Mine seemed content to let the words wash over him as he looked for the letters.
Before you buy this book, check out the sample spread Amazon has provided and think about your preferences and your toddler's. I think this would be an ideal gift for an older child -- say 8 to 12 -- who's interested in art, but it won't suit everybody. Don't let the "A B C" format fool you; some toddlers will love this book, like mine did, but it's no ordinary A-B-C.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beautiful photography, but a bit complex for younger kids
Comment: My kindergarten-age son loves letters - he loves telling me which things begin with particular letters, reciting the letters of his name, and writing letters. I ordered this book for him and was really looking forward to receiving it. The book has some beautiful and clever photography, but is not really what I would consider a children's book. The photos were a bit too complex to hold the attention of younger children, as was the writing. This is something that would definitely appeal more to perhaps older kids or adults.
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