More Than Meets the Eye: Seeing Art with All Five Senses (Bob Raczka's Art Adventures)

I LOVE the concept of encouraging children to engage with art using all of their senses. My children and I have enjoyed speculating on the feelings, sounds, tastes etc. related to each work. For fun, we added actual tangible experiences while discussing the pieces. A few examples: tasting different teas in fancy china tea cups (The Tea), enjoying yummy cupcakes while picking out our favorite decorated baked good(Cakes), discussing what we tasted and smelled (The Kitchen Maid) over a cold glass of milk, patting a tortilla (The Tortilla Maker), and fanning each other (Sun and Wind on the Roof). Although I have really enjoyed the book, I do wish there was a bit more background information than just the one sentence regarding each artist and piece (but one could look more up online if they wish). Overall, the selections and presentation are wonderful, and concept is fantastic. I especially appreciate when close ups of portions of the paintings are included to show detail. I plan to purchase more of Bob Raczka's books in the future.

I love how it boils each painting down to one central theme. I think it's the perfect place for kids to start in art appreciation.

This book has very little information. Not interesting. Return is half cost of book.

Great

I used to volunteer as a "picture parent" at my children's elementary school. This involved me visiting the classroom once a month to talk to the students about certain artists and their paintings. Following my presentation, I would have the children make a related craft or I would read them a book. I shared several books by Bob Raczka, including this book, “More Than Meets the Eye - Seeing Art With All Five Senses”. It demonstrates how paintings can involve all of your senses, not just sight. Examples include tasting (“Cakes” by Wayne Thiebaud), hearing (“The Banjo Lesson” by Henry Ossawa Tanner), smelling (“Flower Piece” by Rachel Ruysch), and feeling (“Sun and Wind on the Roof” by John Sloan). Obviously, you cannot physically hear or touch these things, but you can certainly envision it. This book is a very quick read, consisting mainly of pictures, with information pertaining to the featured artists at the back of the book. Good book to introduce children to other ways of enjoying art than just using their eyes.

I peeked throught this book which I am giving my 5 year old for Christmas. It gives a breif snapshot of the artists and is just enough to whet my son's appetite for more....