One & Other Numbers with Alexander Calder

by Alexander Calder (Artist)

Overview

Practice counting on some of the most famous sculptures in the world!

Masterpieces by world-famous sculptor Alexander Calder are used to teach quantity in this artful, read-aloud board book. One & Other Numbers accompanies artworks with a conversational and relatable text that encourages readers to notice and count various aspects of the sculptures. Calder's playful abstract shapes add to the richness of the visual arc, allowing readers to build personal connections with the art. Children will not only grow more familiar with numbers and quantity, but also with the artist and his work. This fourth title in Phaidon's "First Concepts with Fine Artists" series includes a read-aloud "about the artist" at the end.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780714875101
Publisher:	Phaidon Press
Publication date:	10/30/2017
Pages:	30
Sales rank:	271,480
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	1 - 3 Years

About the Author

Alexander Calder is one of the world's most celebrated sculptors. Best known as the inventor of the mobile, Calder redefined sculpture through introducing the element of movement to his works. In addition to his mobiles, Calder also created static sculptures, called 'stabiles', as well as paintings, jewellery, theatre sets, and costumes.

Editorial Reviews

"[A] lovely, well-curated collection of Calder's work."—Kirkus

"Aside from being nice and mathy, it's actually quite engaging and beautiful." —Fuse8 blog

From the Publisher

2017-11-22
Using counting as a framework, this book invites viewers to look closely at works by sculptor Alexander Calder.Calder's art features prominently, with expansive and clear photographs set against a glossy white background. It's a lovely, well-curated collection of Calder's work, including kid-pleasing, colorful mobiles, representational bent-wire sculptures, and solid stabiles, a kind of immobile statuary. Unfortunately, on pages with a relatively high word count, the bold, all-caps type distracts from the delicate art. Written as a direct engagement to readers, this is ostensibly a concept book. However, that intent is lost as it alternates between a simple counting format and convoluted directives. The book works nicely where expectations are clear: "TWO PIECES FLYING HIGH!" Where the text abandons the concept-book formula, however, it leaves readers confused about how to approach the task. When counting balls on a mobile, the answer should ostensibly be "FOUR. BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT TINY RED ONE? OKAY: FIVE!" Frequent narrative interjections, such as "SLOW DOWN!" or "PHEW!" further disrupt the flow. A brief section in which the text is more open-ended, inviting readers to create their own numerical criteria, is more successful. The last page provides a brief Calder biography.This is a solid visual introduction to Alexander Calder for young art aficionados, but the text fails as a counting book as it strains just a little too hard to be playful. (Board book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews