Museum ABC

by Metropolitan Museum of Art, The (NY)

Overview

Museum ABC is a unique and colorful picture book that introduces children to more than a hundred works of art, using the alphabet. Adults and children alike will love the visual and cultural richness of this alphabetical tour through the Metropolitan Museum's collection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316071703
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/01/2002
Series:	Metropolitan Museum of Art Series , #1
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	60
Product dimensions:	8.87(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a world-renowned art collection.

Editorial Reviews

Images fine and funky accompany each letter of the alphabet in three noteworthy offerings. Museum ABC from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, announces "A is for Apple" while, opposite, a full-color spread divided into quadrants presents the evidence with details from Roy Lichtenstein's Red Apple, a detail from Paul C zanne's Apples and two other works from the museum's collection. "N" features the noses of Giorgio de Chirico (a detail from his Self-Portrait) and Nefertari Kneeling in Adoration, a detail from the subject's Egyptian tomb, among others. Back matter provides further information about each artwork. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

ABC books can be quite predictable and this is definitely in that category. Each left page has the letter and text using that letter. The opposing page has four images from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art pertaining to the appropriate letter/word. The reproductions are all the same size in a grid pattern. The images are a detail of a larger painting, or in some cases an object. There is no question that the artwork is stunning. There are examples from not only Western art, but also Asian and African. For the adult readers, there is an index by letter identifying each artwork. There are medieval monsters, Egyptian noses, Iranian stars, and Japanese umbrellas. The images are rich in color and texture. My favorites are the stained glass star, French jewelry from the mid-16th century, and Roy Lichtenstein's apple. However, the rigid and unimaginative layout betrays the creativity of the makers of the artwork. 2002, Little Brown and Company,
— Kristin Harris

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 3-Alphabet books are a dime a dozen, and the text of this one is no different than most: "A is for apple. B is for boat." What saves it from banality is the artwork. For example, the letter "D" is illustrated with reproductions from around the world-three male dancers from 16th-century India; a fierce, masked performer of 18th-century Japan; a rather surreal-looking pair of Colombian dancers; and an Impressionistic bevy of ballerinas by Degas. It is a shame that all this outstanding art has not been given a more thoughtful and exciting layout. Each spread contains a page of text facing a leaf of details from works of art tightly and symmetrically situated in evenly divided, square slots. The reproductions themselves are excellent, often humorous, and always eye-catching, but the book itself seems mainly intended to showcase the extensive holdings of the Metropolitan Museum. Still, it is a nice introduction to famous paintings, but may be most appreciated by visitors to the museum.-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal