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Dan's Angel: A Detective's Guide to the Language of Paintings
The tale of a museum tour led by the Archangel Gabriel from Fra Angelico's "Annunciation" serves to introduce paintings from the Renaissance to Jackson Pollock and the symbols they use to express their meanings.
38 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 8, 2013
This is a really lovely picture-book and reading it I couldn’t help wondering why I hadn’t seen books like this before. When my kids were young I used to show them the pictures in art books and take them to galleries – but not having had any background in art, I never quite knew what to say to them. This book would have been particularly useful.
Part of the problem is that we tend to want to be pedagogues. We want to teach – but really, art is a kind of exploration, and ‘understanding art’ is a kind of seeking, rather than a kind of finding.
In this picture book a boy detective is brought around a gallery and shown a series of paintings by the Archangel Gabriel from Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation. Along the way they see some lovely paintings – everything from Belshazzar’s Feast by Rembrandt to Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist by Pollock. The interactions between the little boy and the angel not only providing the story-line, but also a wonderful introduction to ‘how to look at pictures’.
We often assume that looking is completely obvious, it is just second-nature and, therefore, doesn’t need to be taught. But the truth is the exact opposite – with some paintings we can never stop looking because there is always more to see. The more we look the more we realise that we need to bring our understanding to a painting. Everything can be significant – Why that colour? Why those clothes? Why is there a pig? This book gently prods readers towards thinking about the kinds of questions that will help them to understand pictures beyond just saying, “Oh, I like this one – but that one over there is just crazy.”
This is such a lovely book – we expect kids to approach picture-books before they can read and to understand the story – in part, at least – from 'reading' the pictures. That this book helps children to look at works of art as they would picture-book illustrations really is a step in the right direction.
Part of the problem is that we tend to want to be pedagogues. We want to teach – but really, art is a kind of exploration, and ‘understanding art’ is a kind of seeking, rather than a kind of finding.
In this picture book a boy detective is brought around a gallery and shown a series of paintings by the Archangel Gabriel from Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation. Along the way they see some lovely paintings – everything from Belshazzar’s Feast by Rembrandt to Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist by Pollock. The interactions between the little boy and the angel not only providing the story-line, but also a wonderful introduction to ‘how to look at pictures’.
We often assume that looking is completely obvious, it is just second-nature and, therefore, doesn’t need to be taught. But the truth is the exact opposite – with some paintings we can never stop looking because there is always more to see. The more we look the more we realise that we need to bring our understanding to a painting. Everything can be significant – Why that colour? Why those clothes? Why is there a pig? This book gently prods readers towards thinking about the kinds of questions that will help them to understand pictures beyond just saying, “Oh, I like this one – but that one over there is just crazy.”
This is such a lovely book – we expect kids to approach picture-books before they can read and to understand the story – in part, at least – from 'reading' the pictures. That this book helps children to look at works of art as they would picture-book illustrations really is a step in the right direction.
July 24, 2013
21 December 2003 DAN'S ANGEL: A DETECTIVE'S GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGE OF PAINTINGS by Alexander Sturgis, illustrated by Lauren Child, Kane/Miller, September 2003, ISBN 1-929132-47-6
In the third through fifth grade school library where I've spent some time volunteering this fall, Joan Steiner's LOOK-ALIKES series and the Jean Marzollo/Walter Wick I SPY series are shelved in the high 700s between Jokes/Riddles and Sports. Owing to the healthy and constant circulation enjoyed by these books, I could easily sleepwalk to that spot on the shelves.
Kids who have spent endless hours poring over LOOK-ALIKES and I SPY books will join with budding artists and art critics in delighting over DAN'S ANGEL, a picture book for older kids which offers a fun first look at symbolism in art. Written by the Exhibition and Program Curator of the National Gallery in London, it is illustrated by Lauren Child who is well known around here after winning the 2003 California Young Reader Medal in the Primary Category for I WILL NEVER EVER EAT A TOMATO.
Dan is a skateboard kid who happens upon an art museum and is checking it out when the unexpected occurs:
"The walls were covered with paintings full of strange and beautiful things. Some seemed to tell stories, but he couldn't work out what the stories were.
" 'You can't read paintings like you can read books,' he sighed.
" 'You can read this one,' a voice said. It seemed to come from a painting of an angel talking to a woman."
That angel speaking to Dan is Gabriel and the painting is Fra Angelico's The Annunciation. Gabriel splits the painting and leads Dan on a tour of some well-known works to explain how artists tell stories using symbolic images. From Belshazzar's Feast and Botticelli's Venus and Mars to Picasso and Pollack, we see examples of artists deliberately utilizing such symbols as colors and animals, bubbles and flowers.
Alas, the tour ends because the museum guard is once again after the oft-missing angel, and Gabe heads back to where he belongs--in the painting. There is a good dose of visual humor--such as Gabriel on Dan's skateboard--and Lauren Child uses her own symbolic images within Dan's story.
This book will also serve as a great stepping stone to later important lessons of symbolism in literature.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
In the third through fifth grade school library where I've spent some time volunteering this fall, Joan Steiner's LOOK-ALIKES series and the Jean Marzollo/Walter Wick I SPY series are shelved in the high 700s between Jokes/Riddles and Sports. Owing to the healthy and constant circulation enjoyed by these books, I could easily sleepwalk to that spot on the shelves.
Kids who have spent endless hours poring over LOOK-ALIKES and I SPY books will join with budding artists and art critics in delighting over DAN'S ANGEL, a picture book for older kids which offers a fun first look at symbolism in art. Written by the Exhibition and Program Curator of the National Gallery in London, it is illustrated by Lauren Child who is well known around here after winning the 2003 California Young Reader Medal in the Primary Category for I WILL NEVER EVER EAT A TOMATO.
Dan is a skateboard kid who happens upon an art museum and is checking it out when the unexpected occurs:
"The walls were covered with paintings full of strange and beautiful things. Some seemed to tell stories, but he couldn't work out what the stories were.
" 'You can't read paintings like you can read books,' he sighed.
" 'You can read this one,' a voice said. It seemed to come from a painting of an angel talking to a woman."
That angel speaking to Dan is Gabriel and the painting is Fra Angelico's The Annunciation. Gabriel splits the painting and leads Dan on a tour of some well-known works to explain how artists tell stories using symbolic images. From Belshazzar's Feast and Botticelli's Venus and Mars to Picasso and Pollack, we see examples of artists deliberately utilizing such symbols as colors and animals, bubbles and flowers.
Alas, the tour ends because the museum guard is once again after the oft-missing angel, and Gabe heads back to where he belongs--in the painting. There is a good dose of visual humor--such as Gabriel on Dan's skateboard--and Lauren Child uses her own symbolic images within Dan's story.
This book will also serve as a great stepping stone to later important lessons of symbolism in literature.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
September 18, 2013
This story is about a young boy Dan who always wanted to be a detective. He comes across an art museum and decides to go in thinking of all the wonderful clues he may find. When an angel starts talking to him from a famous painting, he soon learns and discuss the different artwork displayed in the museum. The angel guides him through the museum asking Dan questions about the pictures getting him to think deeply about what they mean. I really enjoyed the concept of a character from a painting coming "to life" helping Dan explore and learn about art. I think that will be something children will enjoy. This book is a great way to introduce art history or even how to use pictures to construct meaning.
September 16, 2013
Dan is a young boy who stumbles upon an art museum. Inside, he meets the angel Gabriel from the painting The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. The angel takes Dan around as an art detective to interpret the paintings for Gabriel. Dan sees many different artists from Rembrandt to Pollok. This is a great book to introduce art and symbolism to children.
Dan learns about many different Gods and Goddesses, symbols and art mediums. Dan has great conversations about that art which also teaches the reader about history. Great addition to a classroom or art room.
Dan learns about many different Gods and Goddesses, symbols and art mediums. Dan has great conversations about that art which also teaches the reader about history. Great addition to a classroom or art room.
September 24, 2009
This would work well in an elementary art class or the library. It gives practical advice on decoding famous paintings in a picture book format. Plus, it's Lauren Childs' illustrations so it has to be good...
July 24, 2009
It was about pictures and what they mean.
October 5, 2010
A great introduction to reading art for kids.
May 11, 2012
Insightful without being overwhelming. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews