Without a doubt the books I've most enjoyed sharing with the kids the past few years are the Laurence Anholt books...
These books have gotten a better response from my students than any I have ever used. I like to bring the masters to life, telling wild, fantastical stories that most of the artists have in their histories. These books always involve either children or young people who actually met the artists and knew about them. The books are frank about the artists' idiosyncratic personalities, while also avoiding some of the gory details they don't necessarily need to hear. These four are the ones I've shared so far. I also have the da Vinci and Degas books he wrote, but haven't used them yet.
Reading the Matisse book led me on a wild goose chase that I loved. I decided to contact the nuns at the convent in Vence, France, that Henri helped plan and construct. They were very nice to communicate with, and ended up sending me a small book about the process of the construction of the chapel. As a pastor as well as art teacher, I relished that opportunity.
These books "speak to" my students. They may not get the same effect for you, but here at Kenwood these are the books the kids remember, that the teachers bring up to me about discussions in the regular classrooms, and that the parents mention as inspring their kids.
2 comments:
I LOVE these books too...also Degas and the Little Dancer by Anholt as well as Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Anholt
These are great resources for me as a parent and teacher. Thanks for sharing.
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