How Artists See Animals: Mammal, Fish, Bird, Reptile

by Colleen Carroll

Abbeville Kids expands its award-winning series of interactive, inquiry-based books designed to teach children about the world by looking at art, and about art by looking at the world.

In How Artists See Animals children can see how Franz Marc transformed an ordinary cow into a magical one by using brilliant colors; how Roy Lichtenstein created goldfish out of metal; how John James Audubon depicted the elegance of a flamingo in its natural environment; and how Robert Jew made an iguana look so real that it seems about to crawl off its canvas.

Each volume in the How Artists See series presents sixteen diverse works of art, all devoted to a subject that every child already knows from personal experience. Author Colleen Carroll's engaging, conversational text is filled with thought-provoking questions and imaginative activities that spark children's natural curiosity both about the subject of the artwork they are looking at and about the way it was created.

This direct, interactive approach to art?and to the world?promotes self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-expression. As it introduces basic artistic concepts, styles, and techniques, it also provides loads of fun. For children who want to know more about the artists whose works appear in the book, biographies are provided at the end, along with suggestions for further reading and an international list of museums where each artists works can be seen. As they begin to understand the multitude of ways that artists see, children will deepen their appreciation of art, the world around them, and, most importantly, their own unique visions.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Teacher, writer, art lover, gardener, shelter dog mama, collector of vintage quilts, American colored pottery, and Bakelite bracelets, mother of three beautiful and kind daughters, wife of the smartest, most decent human being I know, and grateful author of the How Artists See series, a project that was born while standing in front of a Wassily Kandinsky painting of a rainy day, and for 25 years has bestowed on me unimaginable gifts. I hope you enjoy my books, and thank you for choosing them.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about this series from reading a review of a relaunched edition (with new material) and I'm enthralled. What better way to teach art to children than to start with what they know and ask questions that help them to expand from there. The selections are great and the questions Carroll asks are great. There are short biographies at the end and a list of museums where you can see the artists' works. My only complaint is that I wish the images were bigger--that the whole book, in essence, could be magnified. This is a great resource for both parents and educators in a culture where fine art is not taught or appreciated nearly as much as it should be.

[Crystal M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish more info about the artworks had been included, such as medium and dimensions. This book is meant to start conversation with young children and focus on their observations and thoughts, rather than giving hearty info about the art itself.

[Alissa Faust · Rating 3 out of 5]

This explores various artists and art techniques used to depict animals. Great for use in an art class.

[Analee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for children to look, observe and respond to different artwork. We've had some really great discussions with this book.