THE CITY ABC BOOK written and illustrated with photographs by Zoran Milich. 2001. 32 pp. 1-55074-942-0 (Kids Can Press) $15.95. All you need is a
keen eye and a little imagination (the red overlay helps) to discover the secret world of letters in urban architecture. A great gift for the photography enthusiast or architect.
LEONARDO'S HORSE by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Hudson Talbott. 2001. 48 pp. 0-399-23576-0 (G. P. Putnam's Sons) $16.99. This beautifully illustrated book
depicts the story of Leonardo da Vinci's plan to make a great sculptured bronze horse and the American man who, five hundred years later, made da Vinci's dream a reality.
MASTERS OF ART SERIES
Each of the artists covered in this excellent series is presented in the same format: each double-page spread is devoted to an aspect of the life and art of the
featured artist or to an analysis of some aspects of a major work by the artist enhanced by beautiful, full-color reproductions of the works themselves.
CHAGALL by Gianni Pozzi, illustrated by Claudia Saraceni and Louise R. Galante. 2001. 64 pp. 0-87226-527-7 (Peter Bedrick Books/McGraw-Hill Children's
Publishing) $22.50. This volume in the Masters of Art series chronicles the life of Moshe Zakharovich Shagal, later known as Marc Chagall, from his early life and education as a young Jew in Russia to his expatriation to
Paris in the early 1920s. The influences of Cubism and abstract painting, Impressionism, and Surrealism, as well as his Jewish upbringing and Russian background, are explored with many lavish, full-color examples of his
works.
PICASSO by Stephano Loria, illustrated by Simone Boni and Louise R. Galante. 2001. 64 pp. 0-87226-318-5 (Peter Bedrick Books/McGraw-Hill Children's
Publishing) $22.50. The fascinating life of Pablo Picasso, who lived to be ninety-one years old, is detailed in this volume of the Masters of Art series. His childhood in Spain, the lure of Paris, his many relationships
with different women in his life, and his influences on other artists and poets of his time are explored. The many and varied art styles from the Blue Period through Cubism to architecture, sculpture, and ceramics are
explained and represented in beautiful, full-color examples of his work.
VINCENT Van Gogh by Enrica Crispino, illustrated by Simone Boni, Francesca D'Ottavi, Louise R. Galante, and Ivan Stalio. 2001. 64 pp. 0-87226-525-0 (Peter
Bedrick Books/McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing) $22.50. This excellent introduction to the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh covers the artist's young life in Holland, his close relationship with his brother Theo, his
early evangelical training, and his depression that developed later in life. Contemporary events and friendships are related to his life and artistic techniques. Beautiful full-color examples of Van Gogh's artwork help to
illuminate the artist's life and work.
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Ten Buildings People Love to Hate written and illustrated with black and white photographs by Susan Goldman Rubin. 2001. 96 pp.
0-8234-1435-3 (Holiday House) $18.95. Here are the stories behind ten now-famous buildings that were not instant successes. Rubin wittily and informatively presents the reasons why these architects and their monuments were not
immediately appreciated, such as the fact that people likened the Guggenheim Museum to a toilet bowl or a hangar for flying saucers, or that the Washington Monument was compared to a stalk of asparagus. These readings help us
develop an appreciation for the changes in point of view that time and familiarity bring.