Synopses & Reviews
Art makes a difference!The same family that had such an enlightening experience in Anthony Browne's Zoo is now going to an art museum, Mom's choice for her birthday treat. But wisecracking Dad and their two sons are skeptical about how much fun this trip will be, and they're not quite sure what to make of the art. ("What on earth is that supposed to be?" asks Dad.) But, with Moms help, once the boys start really looking at the paintings, they begin to find what pleasures they contain. Most of the family leave with a new appreciation of art - Dad is just never going to get it - as well as a sketchbook. On the trip home, Mom teaches the boys - and readers - a drawing game, which one of her sons (this books author) has been playing ever since.
This new book is the product of Anthony Browne's engagement as writer-and-illustrator-in-residence at the Tate Britain in London. There he worked with a thousand children from inner-city schools, teaching literature using the resources in the gallery - and playing the shape game. In his artwork for the book, he surreally transforms, in his signature style, some famous paintings in the Tate's collection.
Review
"We leave the story with a sense that somehow the museum outing has mattered not only to Anthony, but to everyone. And that is how it really is when we take our children into the world and experience something new together." Emily Jenkins, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"This personal, playful introduction to art and drawing may well give readers a fresh take on both." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Children who respond to fine art with indifference may change their tunes in the wake of this decidedly un-boring family outing....[Readers] will come away armed with several engaging ways to enliven their approach to art." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Browne's unforgettable paintings and basic words tell a powerful, layered story that will encourage children to find their own connections and subversive fun at the museum." Gillian Engberg, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[R]eaders will enjoy visiting the museum with this family. It just might encourage children to play their own shape game." Sharon Salluzzo, Children's Literature
Synopsis
The family featured in Zoo visits an art museum.
Synopsis
A unique and witty book inspired by the author's work with children in the Tate Britain gallery in London.
A family reluctantly visits an art gallery, but one by one each member is energized by a different picture in the gallery and transported into the imaginative and colourful world of art.
Synopsis
The author/illustrator describes how his mother's wish to spend her birthday visiting an art museum with her family changed the course of his life forever.
About the Author
Anthony Browne is the author and illustrator of many books, including
Zoo,
Changes, and
My Dad. The recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, he lives in Kent, England.