Touch the Art

You know kids, they want to touch everything. It's good! Touching is a great way to learn. But what about fine art? They just might want to touch that too.

Sterling Publishing has a great Touch the Art series written by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo that's perfect to get the little ones interested in classic art. The books feature fine art with a kid friendly addition, something to feel.

In Catch Picasso's Rooster, the first page is my favorite. The art featured is The Rooster by Pablo Picasso (1938). It's bold and eye catching and has been made extra fun with the addition of a fluffy red feather where the rooster's comb should be. It makes you want to touch it right away. Many great paintings are featured in Catch Picasso's Rooster. Blue Fox by Franz Marc (1911) has a soft, shiny blue tail. The Tabby by Henri Rousseau (date unknown) has long, stiff whiskers. A Couple of Foxhounds by George Stubbs (1792) have little floppy ears.

Tickle Tut's Toes is another book in the series. It features Egyptian art found in different museums around the world. From King Tutankhaman's gold coffinette topped off with a golden ribbon to an ancient wall painting of Nefertari and Isis with a spakling jewel, learning about Egyptian art is made interesting for the little ones. A book on Egypt wouldn't be complete without a photo of the pyramids of course. This one has bumpy sides that are fun to feel. My kids loved running their finger up and down the pyramid because the bumps made a sound. They got so excited about it.

Short rhyming text guides readers through the pages of each book, although kids who can't read yet like to look through the books all by themselves. I gave these books to a two-year-old friend of mine and she sat right down and looked through them both very carefully, all by herself. For further learning there is a great addition at the end of each book for when the child (or parent!) is ready to learn more. In Catch Picasso's Rooster each artist is featured with a paragraph about his life and art. Tickle Tut's Toes tells about each artifact.

Catch Picasso's Rooster and Tickle Tut's Toes are just two titles in the Touch the Art series. Kid's can also Brush Mona Lisa's Hair, Make Van Gogh's Bed, Pop Warhol's Top, and feed Matisse's Fish. Touching the art is a fun way to introduce young children to fine art.

Catch Picasso's Rooster and Tickle Tut's Toes are published by Sterling Publishing.