Micklethwait continues the series concept of matching simple, familiar statements with examples of ever-changing artistic styles and subject matter. The fine art included here ranges from a 15th-century Nativity scene ("I spy with my little eye a brown cow") to a 21st-century painting by Michael Craig-Martin entitled Eyetest, featuring brightly hued common objects arranged in a hierarchy of sizes ("I spy with my little eye lots of colors"). As viewers discover a purple square, green elephant, and pink socks, they are building up, in the author's words, "a store of images." The repetition of the refrain and the large font employed for each object, in combination with the visual clues, make this a natural choice for both preschoolers and beginning readers. Adults can easily extend the game with other items on the pages or with pictures in other settings, including galleries. Titles and artists are identified in context; dates and locations are provided as endnotes. In a market flooded with collections of reproductions masquerading as concept books, this one is the real deal. |