The Art Treasure Hunt: I Spy with My Little Eye

by Doris Kutschbach

Introducing young readers to great art is as easy as A, B, see! Young children love a good game of "I Spy with My Little Eye." In this beautifully designed book they are playfully challenged to find details "hidden" in some of the world's greatest paintings. On each double-page spread, a large reproduction of a masterpiece such as Kandinsky's Heavenly Blue, Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Rousseau's The Dream or Breugel's Children's Games is paired with a list of items to search for: a dog, an umbrella, or a ball, for instance. A brief age-appropriate text makes connections between the art and the child's own environment. The pictures expose children to an endless array of artistic styles, periods, and cultures. Although the appendix contains solutions to the challenges, every child knows that the fun is in the hunt. Filled with hours of joyful discovery, this art book sets the stage for greater artistic appreciation as children grow older.

Genres: Art, Childrens, Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 2012

Reviews

[Rachel L.]

Really fun introductory art book, with I Spy style things to find in each painting.



Can’t remember for sure but I think there was one picture I’d skip in this—mainly a problem in the back, when the entire painting is shown.

[Pam]

This book was designed for fun and missed the opportunity to teach children about art. I totally disliked that details about the paintings were hidden in the back of the book in a very small font. These details could easily have been included on the two page spreads with the other text. Then a parent or teacher could have taught the child about art as he or she had fun trying to items. As it is, I do not recommend the book.

[Sarah S]

"I Spy" meets the children's art book. The range of paintings presented here is broad--from ancient Egypt to 20th century U.S. Most of them are not the same old pictures and same old artists, which is refreshing. This probably won't make art historians out of kids, but it will expose them to some things they probably haven't seen and it's fun. Gr. 3-5.