From Publishers Weekly
Images fine and funky accompany each letter of the alphabet in three noteworthy offerings. Museum ABC from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, announces "A is for Apple" while, opposite, a full-color spread divided into quadrants presents the evidence with details from Roy Lichtenstein's Red Apple, a detail from Paul Cezanne's Apples and two other works from the museum's collection. "N" features the noses of Giorgio de Chirico (a detail from his Self-Portrait) and Nefertari Kneeling in Adoration, a detail from the subject's Egyptian tomb, among others. Back matter provides further information about each artwork. All ages.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
reSchool-Grade 3-Alphabet books are a dime a dozen, and the text of this one is no different than most: "A is for apple. B is for boat." What saves it from banality is the artwork. For example, the letter "D" is illustrated with reproductions from around the world-three male dancers from 16th-century India; a fierce, masked performer of 18th-century Japan; a rather surreal-looking pair of Colombian dancers; and an Impressionistic bevy of ballerinas by Degas. It is a shame that all this outstanding art has not been given a more thoughtful and exciting layout. Each spread contains a page of text facing a leaf of details from works of art tightly and symmetrically situated in evenly divided, square slots. The reproductions themselves are excellent, often humorous, and always eye-catching, but the book itself seems mainly intended to showcase the extensive holdings of the Metropolitan Museum. Still, it is a nice introduction to famous paintings, but may be most appreciated by visitors to the museum.Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
K-Gr. 3. Imagination and creativity abound in this brilliantly simple alphabet book from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Each page has its minimal text, as in "A is for Apple" facing a page of four images taken from the vast collections of the Met. There are objects children see every day, an egg, a tree, an umbrella, and parts of themselves, such as feet, hair, and nose. "M is for Monster" produces pictures too beautiful to be scary, including Walter Crane's Beast, and a creature from a fifteenth-century tapestry. "O is for Ox" and "P is for Peacock." They are clearly chosen for the range of fabulous images: an Italian ivory ox from a book cover plaque from the first millennium; a peacock from a nineteenth-century Will Bradley poster. The oversize letter and the word it signifies are printed in color, a hue that picks up one of the colors of the art on the opposite page. Pictures are taken from a timeless array of countries, media, and artists. Very pleasing to look upon, this illuminates lessons in color, form, shape, diversity, and artistic vision as well as the alphabet. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Museum ABC is a unique and colorful picture book that uses the alphabet to introduce children to more than a hundred works of art. A full spread is devoted to each letter of the alphabet and four pictures of the object represented. This simple presentation scheme allows readers to see how objects can be both the same and different in the eyes of various artists, cultures, and time periods. Children will be fascinated to discover that boats, roses, trees, or even windows can be so different from one another and from those they see every day. Adults will love the visual and cultural richness of this alphabetical tour through the Metropolitan Museum's collection. A fact section at the end of the book provides more details about each piece of art and its creator.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Museum ABC is a unique and colorful picture book that uses the alphabet to introduce children to more than a hundred works of art. A full spread is devoted to each letter of the alphabet and four pictures of the object represented.

This simple presentation scheme allows readers to see how objects can be both the same and different in the eyes of various artists, cultures, and time periods. Children will be fascinated to discover that boats, roses, trees, or even windows can be so different from one another and from those they see every day. Adults will love the visual and cultural richness of this alphabetical tour through the Metropolitan Museum's collection. A fact section at the end of the book provides more details about each piece of art and its creator.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Images fine and funky accompany each letter of the alphabet in three noteworthy offerings. Museum ABC from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, announces "A is for Apple" while, opposite, a full-color spread divided into quadrants presents the evidence with details from Roy Lichtenstein's Red Apple, a detail from Paul C zanne's Apples and two other works from the museum's collection. "N" features the noses of Giorgio de Chirico (a detail from his Self-Portrait) and Nefertari Kneeling in Adoration, a detail from the subject's Egyptian tomb, among others. Back matter provides further information about each artwork. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Kristin Harris

ABC books can be quite predictable and this is definitely in that category. Each left page has the letter and text using that letter. The opposing page has four images from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art pertaining to the appropriate letter/word. The reproductions are all the same size in a grid pattern. The images are a detail of a larger painting, or in some cases an object. There is no question that the artwork is stunning. There are examples from not only Western art, but also Asian and African. For the adult readers, there is an index by letter identifying each artwork. There are medieval monsters, Egyptian noses, Iranian stars, and Japanese umbrellas. The images are rich in color and texture. My favorites are the stained glass star, French jewelry from the mid-16th century, and Roy Lichtenstein's apple. However, the rigid and unimaginative layout betrays the creativity of the makers of the artwork. 2002, Little Brown and Company,

School Library Journal