In her first book, artist Sarah Perry has created twenty magical watercolors that are an open invitation to the imaginations of children. Beautifully produced in full color, these fantastic images conjure up a world of limitless possibilities where anything can happen: leaves turn into green fish...cats fly about on wings...and butterflies become a little girl's coat of many colors. Children of all ages will enjoy this book, the Getty Museum's first co-publication with the Children's Library Press of Venice, California.
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Amazon
A diving board to creative wordplay, the fascinating picture book If... offers a surrealistic view of the natural world. The two-page spreads present artful watercolors paired with such strange possibilities as "If zebras had stars and stripes...," "If the moon were square...," and "If worms had wheels...." Although some of the ideas and pictures are whimsical to the point of being downright creepy ("If caterpillars were toothpaste...," "If toes were teeth..."), the hypotheticals will surely inspire flights of fancy for readers of all ages. What could be more appealing for a 5-year-old than imagining the silliest suppositions and seeing them come to life in realistic paintings?
Sculptor Sarah Perry creates a world to make us stop and think. One of her best illustrations depicts a large, hairy warthog with a sparkling crown and the text, "If ugly were beautiful...." With every if idea, the author encourages the kind of mental double take that comes naturally for children. (Ages 4 to 7, and adults, too) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
In her first book for children, Perry, an artist, suggests a series of impossible propositions, then makes each come true in striking if sometimes disturbing paintings. Her text sets up one scenario after another ("If frogs ate rainbows"; "If dogs were mountains") and ends with the suggestion "If this is the end.../ Then dream up some more!" Many concepts are funny ("If zebras had stars and stripes"); many are both intriguing and comic. "If ugly were beautiful," for example, is paired with a painting of a warthog?with warts, bristles, wrinkles and all?wearing a glittering diamond tiara fit for a beauty queen. Other visions are more surrealistic: "If mice were hair" captions a picture of a child's head aswarm with lanky, squirming mice. Elsewhere, a girl in green sunglasses parts her lips to reveal a row of realistically drawn toes; a blue toddler marches off with a green elephant, holding its tail?which closely resembles the child's own. While the artwork is arresting, the premise would be better served with a more supple, varied text and a stronger ending. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Although supposedly an 'adult', I can't help reading and rereading this beautiful book. It helps my imagination soar. I could see it being used in a variety of classroom activities (art, math, science, writing). Beautiful illustrations to study.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I witnessed a teacher using If... with third graders. They were so eager to create their own If... segments. Even children who are skeptical of reading and writing were able to enjoy the follow up activity. Sculptor Sarah Perry sure knows how to spark a child's imagination. No elementary classroom should be without If...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Sarah Perry creates a fabulous feast of image and words. By blending thought provoking questions with visually rich images, she allows both right and left brained indivduals to partake in a sensory delight. The book, though appropriately geared to the developing imagination of the youth, allows readers from 8 to 100 to answer her questions. It's as if books could read your thoughts....
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 33 reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Imaginative
What an amazing book! It fosters creative thinking and imagination. Love the end! A great addition to any primary/Junior classroom.
Published 17 months ago by Mandy
5.0 out of 5 stars
a must have
Too many children are losing grasp of the world their imagination can unfold. This book opens the door to this wonder place our modern society has discouraged for too long. bravo!
Published on April 19 2004 by "munkylover_77"
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative and Fun
I read this book to my daughter's kindergarten class and they loved it. The pictures are wonderful, but the best part is its imagination. Read more
Published on Feb 19 2002 by David S. Curcio
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book to expand children's imagination
I read this book and immediately usd it as a story prompt for my first grade class. They first drew their own If.. pictures then wrote about them.
Published on April 20 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
A novel picture book that gets kids' imaginations going.
This attractive, well-written picture book holds younger children from 3 on up spellbound with its surprising and funny new ways of re-imagining reality in nature (not to mention... Read more
Published on April 16 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book. Encourages imaginitive thought
I am planning to use this book in art lessons to encourage students to see more than what they expect to be there. Read more
Published on Dec 4 1998
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprise yourself, imerse yourself.
Every once and a while something or someone sends you reeling, reeling into your mind and imagination, into the infinite possibilities of being...............
Published on Nov 21 1998 by lhsquared@aol.com
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Art
- Books > Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics
- Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
- Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
