In this wordless picture book, the Western world’s greatest art is closer than you expect. A boy’s daily routines bring him face-to-face with Escher’s winding stairs, Banksy’s
In this wordless picture book, the Western world’s greatest art is closer than you expect. A boy’s daily routines bring him face-to-face with Escher’s winding stairs, Banksy’s balloon girl, Picasso’s dancing fauns, and many more familiar sights. Maybe the boy’s bedroom looks a little like Van Gogh’s. Maybe that apple looks a bit like Magritte’s. And maybe another masterpiece is on its way…
A celebration of creativity across the centuries, What a Masterpiece! will inspire young artists to find wonder in their everyday lives. An art index after the story helps readers identify the cultural treasures behind the illustrations.
Kirkus Reviews
“Artistically inclined adults and older children will enjoy the challenge of finding all the embedded references.”
Publishers Weekly
“Because the narrative of this composite introduction to Western art is so simple—the boy walks from left to right—small children can leaf through the pages with enjoyment even if they can’t identify the references.”
Booklist
“An exaltation of artistic expression.”
The Horn Book Magazine
“You’ll catch on to the conceit fairly quickly: each page contains an homage to a work of art by one or another great European modern master. Without fuss and with smooth visual integration, van Gogh’s The Starry Night invades a bedroom, an alarm is triggered by a (melting) clock à la Dalí. When on the next spread you see a sleepy-eyed boy stalked by a tall Giacometti shadow into a bathroom featuring Duchamp’s Fountain, you catch on to the particular brilliance of this wordless book: there’s going to be a story.”
School Library Connection (highly recommended)
“As an introduction to Western art, this title will have special appeal to art teachers, who will enjoy sharing this book with students of all ages.”
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Riccardo Guasco is the illustrator of
A is for Donkeys, which was self-published with Jonathan Hope. His work has appeared in the
New Yorker and
Los Angeles Magazine, and his favorite artists include Pablo Picasso and Lyonel Feininger. Riccardo is the co-founder of the Inchiostro Festival, a gathering of illustrators, calligraphers, and art printers. He lives in Alessandria, Italy.
Visit Riccardo's blog at
riccardoguasco.tumblr.com or follow him on Instagram @guascoriccardo.
View Biographical note
