Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Magritte's Marvelous Hat by D.B. Johnson - ADVISABLE

Johnson, D.B. Magritte's Marvelous Hat. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012. $16.99. PICTURE BOOK. Content: G.

In this surrealistic romp, the author reimagines Belgian painter Rene Magritte as a dapper dog. When Magritte buys a floating bowler hat in a shop, he discovers that he can now paint better than ever before. The hat is playful and wants to explore Magritte's world with him, but as Magritte grows more enamored of his painting, he ignores the hat. When the hat retaliates by flying off, Magritte finds he can no longer paint the way he used to. How will this artist continue to create without his muse?

The story and illustrations are filled with whimsy, including many nods to Magritte's own work, as they explore the importance of taking care of your muse. Heightening the surrealistic effect, Magritte's Marvelous Hat includes several transparent pages that change the image when turned. Would make a nice introduction to a unit on surrealism.

EL - ADVISABLE. Reviewed by: Caryn.

No comments:

Post a Comment