Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hair,   ISBN:9781402735660

Customer Rating: 

Every time my child picks up this book, I wince. I bought this book, as well as the rest in the series and a handful of other children's art books, because I wanted to imbue my child with a fascination with art and to introduce him to the classics early in his life. The series is a great concept which just falls short, most noticeably in this particular book. It's really the halting, disoriented text. For instance, on the second page is Diego Velazquez's Prince Balthasar Carlos on Horseback. The text reads, "There's a boy in a new blue suit high up on a saddle. Tickle the horse's tail. Hope it doesn't run away!" What's the problem? The child isn't wearing a blue suit, he's wearing a gold suit. The only thing blue in this painting is the sky. Again, on the last page is two daydreaming cherubs from a portion of Raphael's Sistine Madonna. It reads, "...Can you blow on their pink feathers?" The cherubs wings are a scarlet red. Why I rate this book so low, is because every time we read this book, I spend more time correcting, clarifying and apologizing for the text than enjoying it. It's as though somebody for whom English is a second language wrote this book. And this is just one instance, really in the whole series, where there's just no cadence or fun to the text. It shouldn't be a real problem. But each sentence seems totally random, out of sync, and puzzling. Opposite Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, it says, "See the girl with the shiny earring. Polish her smooth round pearl. Can you tug your ear?" The sentences almost don't seem related. Beside Frans Hals The Laughing Cavalier, it reads, "Where is the man with the wide mustache?" Well, this is a portrait. You can't even respond, "He's right next to the lamp!" because there is nothing in this picture except a smiling man and a gray backdrop. The book opens with small text in the corner, "Look inside and take a peek. Let's play a game of find and seek." Well, we're already inside the book because we've opened it to the first page--and the theme of "find and seek" isn't extended past this sentence. There's no, "Can you find this hidden object?" a page or two on.
That's not to say my child doesn't enjoy this book, however. And, really, I bought it for him so he could leaf through the pictures, which he is quite able to do. As one reviewer commented, I look forward to somebody else furthering this idea in another book. But I felt like this book throughly deserved a parent's disgruntled critique.

Customer Rating: 

For your visual and verbal young learners, this book introduces great art from masters of the Renaissance to the Barogue in a fun, interactive way. Each page has a "touch and feel" component which engages readers and helps imprint art into the mind. This wonderful book also has a great anecdotal section at the end for curious readers who would like to know more about each artist and their featured work.

Customer Rating: 

I bought this for my nephew as a baby shower gift along with a few other ones in the Touch the Art series-- This one is by far his favorite! He loves to feel Mona Lisa's hair on the front and is constantly carrying it around with him- GREAT idea for books and kids to get familiar with art at a young age-

Customer Rating: 

A wonderful addition to the home school library. Great way to expand the childs experience. Highly recommend A+++

Customer Rating: 

We'd been given Pop Top 123. What a wonderful book. Being a mom of a 3-year old, and having an interest in art history, I decided to buy all the books in the series. The rest of the books are ok. None nearly as well written and engaging as Pop Top. The art is wonderful. The tactile areas are ok. The story, not so engaging. Stick with Pop Top 123.