The Museum
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
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When I see a work of art, something happens in my heart!
As a little girl tours and twirls through the halls of the art museum, she finds herself on an exciting adventure. Each piece of art evokes something new inside of her: silliness, curiosity, joy, and ultimately inspiration. When confronted with an empty white canvas, she is energized to create and express herself—which is the greatest feeling of all.
With exuberant illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, The Museum playfully captures the many emotions experienced through the power of art, and each child’s unique creative process.
Praise for The Museum
"Verde and Reynolds deliver a simple premise with a charming payoff… this “twirly-whirly†? homage to a museum is, on balance, a sweet-natured and handsome celebration."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Debut author Verde makes an engaging case for understanding art as an experience rather than an object."
—Publishers Weekly
"The rhymed text captures the excitement of a being sparked by art.†?
—Booklist
"Communicates a fresh, playful, childlike perspective on art and normalizes childlike responses to it. The idea that posing, laughing, and curious questions are all appropriate museum behavior may be a new one for both children and parents, and knowing this is sure to make for more enjoyable museum visits."
—School Library Journal
"For parents who have trouble communicating the excitement of art to their children, The Museum can serve as the starting point for a conversation. The book is also a wonderful reminder of visual art’s power to encourage and empower self-expression. Children and adults will finish this book excited about their next art experience, and perhaps tempted to dance through the halls of a museum in the near future."
—Bookpage
"This playful picture book pays tribute to the joyous effect art can have on the viewer."
—Shelf-Awareness
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"When I see a work of art,/ something happens in my heart./ I cannot stifle my reaction./ My body just goes into action." A girl in pigtails embodies the emotions elicited by the paintings she sees, leaping, twirling, giggling, and inspired by the famous Munch work even shrieking, as she tours a museum gallery filled with European and American masterpieces. The spirals of Starry Night make her spin, cubist portraits cause her to pull ugly faces ("He did it first!"), and Rodin's Thinker moves her to sit and "analyze/ the whos and whats and wheres and whys." An expanse of blank, white canvas puzzles her until she understands it as an invitation to project her own mental state onto it: "No longer blank,/ it's my creation.../ I am feeling such elation!" Reynolds's (Sky Color) swooping, calligraphic ink drawings give the pages balletic charm. The girl and her surroundings are rendered in light washes, while the paintings' colors are full and intense. Debut author Verde makes an engaging case for understanding art as an experience rather than an object. Ages 3 7.
Customer Reviews
Lovely
What a lovely book that brings out the imagination of youngsters through a journey at a museum.