Julie AppelReseñas

a collection of pictures by famous artists. those pictures are used with short sentences about the pictures.
1 book

touch and feel book about ancient Egypt.
1 book

This book is an excellent introduction to great artists, in which children can explore famous artworks in a fun and engaging manner. This title covers a lot of ground, encompassing roughly 200 years of art history and traversing several European countries. It includes works of arts from such famed artists as da Vinci, van Eyck, Vermeer, and Raphael, among others.

The narrative doesn't pull a full story together, but each page asks for the reader's participation in some fashion or another ("Can you find the dog?", "Can you tug your ear?"). Of course, a lot of the interactive calls also involve the touch-and-feel aspect of the book, inviting children to feel soft, scratchy, and shiny elements, among others.

The lack of a cohesive narrative - or even some rhymes to make the book more entertaining - meant this book was not my favorite of the Touch the Art series. Still, I did enjoy it and thought it was compelling enough. Also, when I read this book to my 3-year-old niece, she listened closely as I read the words aloud and she then carefully examined each touch-and-feel picture. It definitely held her attention, and I think it would be a hit in my toddler classroom as well.

The book ends with a brief paragraph about each artist represented in its pages, but this section seems to be geared more toward parents/caregivers who are interested in learning more than for the children themselves. I could see how this book would be helpful for parents who want to share their love of Renaissance art as well as for those who are about to bring/recently brought their children to an art museum - with the caveat of course that the children can touch the book but not the art!½

This book is an excellent introduction to modern art, in which children can explore great works of the impressionist and post-impressionist periods in a fun and engaging manner. The loose narrative goes through a day from the morning wake-up routine to admiration of the nighttime sky. Each part of the day corresponds with a famous work of art, which has some element of touch and feel to it, whether it's a bright red ribbon tied up in a bow or delicate pink piece of tulle. The text specifically calls out the touch-and-feel aspect with lines like "grab a peach" and "close the curtain." Each page's text also has a simple rhyming scheme, which can give the book a singsong aspect if desired.

When I read this book to my 3-year-old niece, she listened closely as I read the words aloud and then carefully she examined each touch-and-feel picture. It definitely held her attention, and I think it would be a hit in my toddler classroom as well.

The book ends with a brief paragraph about each artist represented in its pages, but this section seems to be geared more toward parents/caregivers who are interested in learning more than for the children themselves. I could see how this book would be helpful for parents who want to share their love of modern art as well as for those who are about to bring/recently brought their children to an art museum - with the caveat of course that the children can touch the book but not the art!½

This book introduces young children to pop art in a fun and engaging manner. Each page spread displays a work from a pop art master, including the titular Warhol as well as others like Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein. The rhyming narrative doesn't pull a full story together, but each page asks for the reader's participation in some fashion or another ("clap your hands," "Can you move your dancing feet?"). Of course, a lot of the interactive calls also involve the touch-and-feel aspect of the book, inviting children to feel soft, scratchy, and shiny elements, among others. As this title deals with a very specific subset of modern art, it seems to have boxed itself in a little; even in such a short book, we see two works each from Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, rather than branching out to include more artists.

The lack of a cohesive narrative as well as the repetition of certain artists made this book my least favorite (so far) in the Touch the Art series. But that being said, when I read this book to my 3-year-old niece, she listened closely as I read the words aloud and then she carefully examined each touch-and-feel picture. It definitely held her attention, and I think it would be a hit in my toddler classroom as well.

The book ends with a brief paragraph about each artist represented in its pages, but this section seems to be geared more toward parents/caregivers who are interested in learning more than for the children themselves. I could see how this book would be helpful for parents who want to share their love of modern art as well as for those who are about to bring/recently brought their children to an art museum - with the caveat of course that the children can touch the book but not the art!½

This book is an excellent introduction to modern art, in which children can explore great works in a fun and engaging manner. The narrative goes through a day from 8am to 4pm, with a different task for each hour (time comb your hair, time to eat lunch, etc.). Each task corresponds with a famous work of art, which has some element of touch and feel to it, whether it's a dangling piece of yarn or strip of scratchy felt. The text specifically calls out the touch-and-feel aspect with lines like "fix your collar" and "tap the window." Each page's text also begins with "Tick tock" ends with "what a busy day!," creating the possibility for a sing-song reading. As this title deals with modern art, it includes a diverse set of paintings that feature an array of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

When I read this book to my 3-year-old niece, she listened closely as I read the words aloud and then carefully examined each touch-and-feel picture. When it was done, she asked to hear it again and start chiming in with the refrains of "tick tock" and "what a busy day." It definitely held her attention, and I think it would be a hit in my toddler classroom as well.

The book ends with a brief paragraph about each artist represented in its pages, but this section seems to be geared more toward parents/caregivers who are interested in learning more than for the children themselves. I could see how this book would be helpful for parents who want to share their love of modern art as well as for those who are about to bring/recently brought their children to an art museum - with the caveat of course that the children can touch the book but not the art!

Another book in the Touch the Art series, this one features prominent modern artists, including some of my favorites like Matisse and Hopper. Other artists used are Rivera, Kahlo, Seurat, Wood, Lawrence, Modigliani, and Chagall. As with the rest of the books in this series, each two page spread has a reproduction of a great painting, labeled with the artist's name, the name of the painting, the year, and the collection that contains it. A couple of sentences accompany the picture, this time using the thin framework of a clock counting down the time in the day with activities that pertain to the painting shown. The text is admittedly weak, the art is unquestionably great. I love most of these artists, and admire the pieces chosen for this book, and think this is a wonderful way to introduce fine works of art to children. The touch and feel aspect of the book is weaker here than in other books of the series, and that, combined with the silly text, brings my estimation down a bit, but I still find it a quality book that I am happy to own.½

This board book is part of a series that is an overlooked gem. They introduce great pieces of art to the smallest of children. Each painting is paired with a small poem, and has an interactive element to draw the attention of the very young. In small print, the artist and painting information lines the bottom of the page. This particular book features the impressionists, like van Gogh, Cassatt, Cezanne, and Monet. The back pages of the book have a brief synopsis about each painter. This is a fantastic book, I can't stress it enough. It captures the beauty and wonder of artwork. It shows that art is fun and joyous. Don't miss these board books, they are great for children and parents.½

When Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo set out to capture the wonder of art in an interactive, “touch-and-feel” format for the youngest of art connoisseurs they started with well-known artists. Brush Mona Lisa’s Hair and Make Van Gogh’s Bed were amongst their earlier offerings, along with Catch Picasso’s Rooster, released this Fall. Including both household name artists and major schools of art, these offerings opened a world of interactive art to children.

With the release of Tickle Tut’s Toes the Touch the Art Series departs for previously unexplored waters – the largely three-dimensional, structural art of ancient Egypt. Pairing simple rhyming couplets with sensory elements and photographic reproductions of Egyptian art, children can stroke the sail of a painted wooden model boat, rub the scratchy burlap-like texture of the cloth wrapped around a mummified crocodile, or finger roughly woven linen that trails from a mummy’s wrappings. Very neat.

The objects-de-art are placed against colorful, bold, rough-collage backgrounds reminiscent of Eric Carle’s work. The contrast of modern with ancient makes the historical artifacts pop from the page. Though presented in a board-book, these titles are recommended for ages 4 – 8, as some of the touchy features are more fragile than those typically found in similar-style books for babies. Small plastic “gems,” loosely woven linen wrappings that can unravel if treated roughly, and other elements, take these titles out of the realm of toddlers and into that of early elementary.

An appendix of sorts features thumbnails of the artifacts, approximate dates, details of their current homes, historical background, and construction notes. The adults who’ll be introducing these books to their children should most certainly read these fascinating details. That way, as they flip through the pages, and their little ones inevitably ask questions, they’ll be able to enter into a natural conversation wherein they can share these educational tidbits. My six-year-old was actually open to my reading some of these details when a particular piece of art interested her keenly as we read through the book, but she wasn’t open to reading straight through this section.

Tickle Tut’s Toes hits all of the high-interest, fascinating subjects of the well-known aspects of Egyptian culture. King Tut, a tomb painting, mummies, a tiny sphinx, a sarcophagus, and the pyramids are complemented by some lesser-known subjects such as glasswork and a miniature replica of daily life created for inclusion in a coffin. While some of these items can be considered “art” only loosely, they certainly form a fascinating jumping-off point for a further-study of ancient Egypt, and can add depth and visual references for studies that are already underway.

Featuring nine items in total, Tickle Tut’s Toes allows parents and educators to quickly pull together an informal introduction to Egyptian artifacts without requiring planning or resource scrounging, while meeting children at their level – the world of the kinesthetic.

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com

The mysterious Mona Lisa could use a little grooming—so go ahead and brush her long black hair! Continue with the Old Masters by touching the large, lacy collar of Frans Hals’ The Laughing Cavalier, petting the horse’s tail in Velazquez’s Prince Baltasar Carlos on Horseback, and arranging the snappy elastic hair in Boticcelli’s The Birth of Venus.