Seen Art?

by Jon Scieszka

Encouraging young readers to become acquainted with some of the world's best works of modern art, this collaboration features comical text and playful illustrations along with full-color reproductions of artwork housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile, Teaching

48 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd shaped book. It is as wide as a children’s book and the height is about half so it’s skinny and strange.

The story is simple. A boy is looking for his friend Art. He is next to the MoMA and he asks the doorman if he has seen Art. The man lets him in and the boy searches for his friend and people show him all kinds of art. It looks like they took pictures of pieces from the museum and put them in these pages. The people seemed to fit the art.

A great story to get people interested in seeing art in a museum. It’s a nice little overview of what would be in the building. They even have the helicopter from M.A.S.H. There were several pieces I would love to see in person. Klee, Matisse, Picasso, Miro, Warhol, Kahlo, Avery, Melies are some of the artists I’m interested in.

It was fun to see the nephews reaction to the pictures. He didn’t understand many of them and he asked if that was art, or what kind of art is that. I told him this was all Modern art and art can be anything. He didn’t agree that some of this was art, but he thought some of it was cool anyway. There were a few monsters and so he was happy. He gave this 3 stars.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading many children’s books by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith for many years now, which includes “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” and “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” and I had enjoyed most of their stories! So, when I finally stumbled upon one of their more recent collaborations, “Seen Art?” I just had to give this book a try!

The book starts off with a young boy looking for his friend Art and when he asked a lady about where his friend Art is, the lady said:

“MoMa?” asked the lady.

“Uh…no, he’s just a friend.”

“Just down Fifty-Third Street here. In that beautiful new building. You can’t miss it.”

So, the boy goes to the Museum of Modern Art to find his friend, but everywhere he goes, everyone keeps showing him a different painting or sculpture, instead of showing him where his friend is.

Will the boy be able to find his friend Art?

Read this book to find out!

Now, I will admit that when I first saw the cover of this book, I was thinking to myself that I might not like this book because the cover looked boring. Man, this really tells me to not judge a book by its cover as I really enjoyed this book and all the creativity being put into it! Jon Scieszka as always had done a brilliant job at writing this book as the humor is cute and witty and I loved seeing how the young boy is trying to tell everyone at the Museum that he only came there to look for his friend Art, but they keep on misunderstanding his concerns by showing him various artworks instead. Lane Smith’s artwork is truly surreal yet creative at the same time, as we are treated to having the real life artwork from the Museum of Modern Art pasted alongside Lane Smith’s own illustrations of the characters and it really brings out the creativity in this story! I also loved the fact that there is information about each artwork being used in this book at the back of this book as it helped me distinguish who had done each artwork, such as recognizing Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting “The Starry Night.”

Overall, “Seen Art?” is a truly creative book for children who enjoy the beauty of art and who are fans of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s works! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate about this book, unless the artwork is a little too strange for some children.


Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[sarafem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Scieszka is one of those children's book authors everyone loves, except for me. Just seeing his name on a book makes my spine shiver like someone is scraping their nails down a chalkboard. If I had read about this book somewhere, I probably would not have marked it as one that I had to read, but the librarian in my school just happened to have put it on display today and it caught my eye, with it's short oblong shape and artsy fartsy cover.

Scieszka has redeemed himself in my eyes, at least until the next piece of crap he writes. This is about a little guy, who just happens to be standing outside of the MoMA building (in NYC Museum of Modern Art, if you didn't know), looking for his friend Art. He asks a nice lady walking by "Excuse me, have you seen Art?" And he is sent inside the building, where he asks continuously for Art and keeps getting shuttled from one painting to another. The book features actual work from MoMA with great descriptions, including Starry Night by Van Gogh, a Calder mobile, Dali, Warhol, Matisse, Gauguin, etc. etc. etc.

The story itself is just adorable and the work speaks for itself. I want to buy this book and keep it on the coffee table; well first I have to get a coffee table but this is the first book that has ever made me want one. Anyone will love this; kids will giggle at the silly little guy looking for Art and the hilarious tour guides, and they might even accidentally pick up some culture on the way.

[elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful one-on-one read-aloud, with the best illustrations possible (modern art). Also a great intro to art, for any age. Features my favorite museum (at least it was my favorite before it was remodeled and they started charging an absolutely ridiculous amount to get in).

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, what joy...To discover another collaboration between Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith that I haven't heard of before.

I have really enjoyed reading their Time Warp Trio stories with our girls, as well as their stand-alone books featuring fractured fairy tales or school subjects, among other topics.

This book, however, stands out among the other strange and unique titles. It's a small, oddly-shaped book that is awkward to hold open despite (or perhaps, because of), it's squat rectangular shape.

The book takes the reader on a journey to New York City's Museum of Modern Art with a young man in search of
Art.

The pieces displayed within the book's pages include very famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Paul Gauguin. But they also include more obscure pieces, too.

The story itself is quite silly, somewhat reminiscent of the classic Abbott and Costello comedy sketch, Who's on First?

And while the young man is dragged past many works of art before finding the real Art he seeks, the book serves to introduce young readers to a sample of the many masterpieces contained within the famous museum.

Many of my own favorites are included within the pages , so it was a real treat for me to read the book and it makes me want to visit the museum.

It's a fun, fast read and is one of the few books I debated about rating. 3 stars? 4 stars? I hate to admit my bias, but my past experiences with this creative duo pushed me over to the 4-star range. Silly story, but with an entertaining gimmick. Certainly worth a look.

interesting quotes:

"What's with the ants attacking the gold watch?" (p. 17)

"It's so...me." (p. 20)

"So you see, art is not just paintings." (p. 28)

[Anna Richland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so clever and memorable that my 2d grader took one look at it and declared, "We read that before. When we went to see Calder."

That was the 2010 Calder special show at the Seattle Art Museum, which she went to at least four times, and which began her obsession with Alexander Calder. She remembered this book for three years!

So, memorable book.

If I could give this a 4.5 instead of a 5, I would, because of its odd shape/size - a long rectangle (the photo does not really do the shape justice because to read it you have to OPEN the book, so it's super long and narrow when you're reading). Hard to handle for kids and adults. The graphic layout looks nice, sure, but the book just feels awkward in my hands. If I hold it at the spine, it's too heavy at the edges and flops, and if I hold it at the edges I'm constantly shifting my hands everywhere. Yes, sorry, I'm picky - the shape fits the illustrations remarkably well, but for $16.99 I also want the book to fit my hands and kid hands.

At the back, it has a section called "All About the Art" containing a thumbnail explanation of every piece that appears in the story. If you read my other comments, you will know that I'm always looking for that. And this book gave it to me!

The book has a Henry Moore sculpture (a future art teaching unit w/a clay project) and "Map" by Jasper Johns, which I intend to use in a flag/map unit around the time of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

[JayeL · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Child specifically asked for this book the other night, which surprised me. [author:Jon Scieszka)'s books are smart and funny and don't make life beautiful and abnormal for kids.

It is about an unexpected trip through NY's MoMA as the main character looks for his friend Art. The drawings are funny (you should see the kid's hair) and the people express their opinions to him without prompting.

The book has reproductions of pieces from the MoMA's collection including a Van Gogh night painting, a Monet, a Munch and the soup cans by Andy Warhol. The Child looked at the latter for a long time, but said that his favorite was a blue and gold painting where 'OOF' was painted in gold letters on a blue ground.

[Allie]

A fun little romp as a kid looks for his friend Art and gets show all around the New York MoMA.

BUT.

As I do when I visit any museum, I kept a count of the women artists represented. It's a paltry 3 of 62. I think that's both a problem of the MoMA but mostly the author/illustrator. If Scieszka and Smith balk at me pointing a finger at them, I'd point them to Linda Nochlin and say good day sirs.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy is looking for his friend Art; through funny misunderstanding, he is directed to the MoMA. What follows is a fun and exciting trip through the museum, with full-color excerpts of art (paintings, photographs, sculpture, film are all represented). A book to look at for hours.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art is the friend's name, get it? I thought it was hilarious, and the PandaBat liked it too.

[Katheryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool introduction to modern art and a fun play on the word.

[Christine Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cool, beautiful book. It's thought-provoking yet simple. Bold yet indirect. Could it be Art?

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary (Worldcat): While looking for his friend Art, a boy wanders through the Museum of Modern Art and is amazed by what he discovers there.

Review: This book was fun and interesting. It made me very sad that MoMA was closed while they moved to the new building during my one and only visit to New York a few years ago. This book showcases the new building and its art. I thought it was funny how the little boy looking for his friend Art is lead around the museum by those trying to share with him what they think is art. I like how everyone he meets defines art differently. Ultimately they are successful and he sees that it is all art, and then luckily he runs into his friend Art outside. The illustrations were stylish and fun, and the inclusion of a large variety of art pieces made it a great guide to modern art, which can be hard to understand and appreciate. The additional information on each piece at the end is helpful and necessary. The pieces and artists are not named, only discussed in the story itself.

The SLJ review remarks that it would be usefull to those planning a trip to MoMA but also that it is "deliberately repetitive but becomes somewhat tiresome as the book's length appears to be determined more by providing a broad overview of the museum's holdings than by a compelling plot."

More positive review in Horn Book. "The book's extra-wide pages become museum walls featuring crisply reproduced masterworks by Picasso, Warhol, etc."

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two friends promise to meet each other on the corner of Fifth and Fifty-Third in New York City. Our young protagonist arrives, but where’s his friend, Art? He asks a lady on the street, “Have you seen Art?” “MoMA?” asks the lady and she directs him to the Museum of Modern Art. As he continues his search for his friend, museum-goers are more than happy to show him their idea of art. From Van Gogh to Warhol, Picasso to Modigliani, the boy is experiences to a diverse body of modern art. But after searching the entire building, his friend is nowhere to be found, so he walks back to the street corner. Art is there and together they walk back to MoMA to see the art again.

This book is great for elementary school kids who are making their first trip to an art museum. They’ll enjoy the repeated pun on the word, “art.” The illustrations are a combination of photographs of paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art from the NYC MoMA and drawn characters with squiggles of hair and collage outfits. The text uses dialogue to present ideas about art, helping readers notice details about the paintings. Also notable is the design of the book, rectangular and long, mimicking the long galleries of a museum.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique and fun creation by partners-in-crime, Scieszka and Smith, all centered around the miscommunication of a small boy who is looking for his friend Art. But, when he asks adults "Have you seen Art?" Their misinterpretation of his question leads him across a grand tour of the Modern Museum of Art (MoMA). He gets a great art lesson along the way, real paintings are recreated on the page and described by a comical variety of MoMA patrons. All the while little Art remains flustered and frustrated until an epiphany moment at the end which is centered around a fantastic collage of modern art.

The illustrations are typical of Lane Smith's interesting collages of painting, pictures, and patterns.

I really like the sense of humor in this book and the multiple opportunities to bring in outside resources to study any of the pieces or artists discussed in the book.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a little guy, who just happens to be standing outside of the MoMA building (Museum of Modern Art), looking for his friend Art. He asks a nice lady walking by "Excuse me, have you seen Art?" And he is sent inside the building, where he asks continuously for Art and keeps getting shuttled from one painting to another. The book features actual work from MoMA with great descriptions, including Starry Night by Van Gogh, a Calder mobile, Dali, Warhol, Matisse, Gauguin, etc. etc. etc.
The story itself is just adorable and the work speaks for itself. Anyone will love this; kids will giggle at the silly little guy looking for Art and the hilarious tour guides, and they might even accidentally pick up some culture on the way.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Situational humor can be wonderful, but only if everyone understands the circumstances and gets the joke. That's the caveat with Seen Art-- the reader has to know about the Museum of Modern Art and appreciate the pieces in its collection. If the reader is familiar with the Museum, Scieszka's book is a fun and beautiful little read. Although it's too small for anything more than a lap book, the images of the art pieces and the caricatures of the patrons of the museum will keep readers interested. The witty dialog will also be appreciated by both art fans and Scieszka fans alike. A great read for all ages, provided they're familiar with MoMA or are a frequent museum visitor in their local area.

[Jenny Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age:
Grades 2-6

Genre:
realistic fiction

Diversity:
art appreciation

Illustrations:
Illustrations look like they were created with mixed media and also photographs of real art pieces.

Personal response:
I think the book is very creative, just as many of the author's other titles. I really liked all of the real art pieces displayed throughout the book and then cataloged in the back of the book. It's quite humorous how the author uses the character's friend named "Art" throughout the book which causes others to interject since art is in the eye of the beholder. Very clever and creative book.

Curricular or programming connections:
This book would be good great for an art lesson and discussing different media.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seen Art? Like Art MOMA or Art a friend? A boy tries to find his friend, Art, and is guided to MOMA instead. As he looks for his friend, he is asked if he has seen Art and he replies No. Someone will agree and show him another style of art. Funny misunderstandings lead to a tour through many different styles and eras of art.

Not sure this would make a good read aloud, unless you are an art teacher! Small book will need a document camera so that all students can see the pieces of art. There is an index of all the pieces in the book including Artist, title of artwork, medium, size of work, and copyright or ownership information.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about the Olivia series is the random bits of real artwork and history that can be found inside.

I ADORED this book! What a fun way to introduce MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) to a child and a miniature look at some of the famous pieces/styles of artwork that can be seen there.

The tiny blurbs about the art pieces can be found in the back of the book. These blurbs are a fun resource, starting point and identifying some works the kids enjoyed on the book pages. My kiddo asked me what the most recent work was and we had fun marveling how old some of them actually are.

Definitely recommend adding this one to your reading list!

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe a lot of kids aren't ready for modern art yet, but adults and kids alike should enjoy this book about a bit of confusion that brings our narrator into the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
Looking for his friend Art, the narrator asks someone on the street, "Have you seen Art?" The woman responds with the address of nearby MoMA, and so he continues to look for his friend inside the museum, finding great works of modern art... and, eventually, his friend.
A great book to give to kids who are curious about art or who might be getting ready for a trip to New York City!

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator is looking for his friend Art, but cannot find him. When he asks someone for help, they direct him to the Museum of Modern Art. The narrator is then taken on a tour through the museum visiting work by Van Gogh, Picasso, Caldor, Matisse, etc.

I've grown up as a museum director's daughter, so any book that incorporates art is a book after my heart. This book introduces modern art in a way that is kid friendly, but true to the art. It also includes information about the different pieces at the end.

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these picture books that introduce children to art and culture, like The Museum Book , The Art Collector , Dinner at Magritte's , Georgia in Hawaii , etc. (I could list several more but typing out all the html is getting tedious. You see what I mean.)

[Courtney Harden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scieszka, Jon

This is a fiction book about what art is. There is a good collection of art in the book and also there is some great vocabulary also. I can see this being used in the classroom as a vocabulary strategy called vocabulary trees(Beers, pg. 188). Students and choose the vocabulary provided in the book to do a vocabulary tree with. Their trees should look similar to Figure 9.2(Beers, pg. 189). This book is a great way for students to express how they feel about art as well as learn some great words!

[The Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little boy is suppose to meet his friend, Art, on a busy street. Of course everyone thinks he's referring to works of art and when he asks if they have "seen Art" and they direct him to the MOMA. There he asks the visitors to the museum if they have "seen Art" and each one directs him to a different room and a different type of art - as everyone's definition of art is different.

Very charming illustrations - loved looking at all the different types of artwork.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to art for kids. The play on words will have them chuckling, and the illustrations should keep their attention. They may not recognize all of the pieces of art, but there is a handy section in the back that describes each piece that appears in the book. I just wish the pages and illustrations were bigger, so that I could use this for story time. But it would be great for snuggling up with one child who can get up close to see the details.

[SL · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm hovering between 2 and 3 stars but usually I rate books based on my own personal enjoyment ;P

Anyway, this would be a nice book for anyone who's trying to introduce the various artists and their art styles to elementary-aged children. There's the clever wordplay of the main character looking for his friend, Art, but winds up being led into MOMA where he discovers the vast array of artwork aka art that's featured.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my wonderful Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith projects. We are reading dozens of picture books a week here (in addition to other books), not reviewing most of them but I have to pay go out of my way to call attention to anything these guys do. This is a great introduction to MoMa and art museums and art, with a funny premise, a search for a guy name Art...

[Cosette]

My kids haven't been to the MoMA. Having to explain it to them reminded me of how I felt while inside the MoMA - is this a children's book or something for adults? Because, on an adult level, I totally buy searching for art inside the MoMA.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty awesome, and NOT just because it has "The Starry Night" in it (although that definitely swayed my rating). What a great way to introduce kids to great art. The story is cute and the art is real. And now I want to go back to NY just to go to MoMA.