Product Description

In the grasslands of Africa, a group of young animals think they know all about the crocodile who swims in the river beneath their school. He is the most ferocious creature on earth . . . or is he? When the animals try painting portraits of him, they learn there is no one way to see anything, even a crocodile. In this heartwarming tale, author and illustrator Eva Montanari makes abstract concepts easy to understand, bringing them vividly to life. With age-appropriate text and gorgeous illustrations, The Crocodile's True Colors uses adorable animals and a captivating, yet simple plot to draw children into learning about perception and art. A true delight for story lovers of all ages!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #771260 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-First published in Italy, this book intends to introduce youngsters to a handful of art terms: expressionism, cubism, futurism, abstractionism, and dadaism. Master Elephant defines each one in one or two brief sentences as, in turn, a lion, rhino, gazelle, giraffe, and monkey in a school in "the grassy fields of Africa" paints a picture of a crocodile that lives in the river below. At the end of the lesson, Crocodile comes out of the water and looks at the other animals as they watch him, and he uses some of the techniques to paint a picture of them. Here readers get the chance to see if they understand the terms that were previously introduced. The one- and two-page full-color illustrations are folklike and artsy; some of them extend the text, but others confuse it. For example, when "futurism" is defined, Little Gazelle "-uses short brushstrokes to show the Crocodile running off the canvas onto the wall." This depicts "how the Crocodile moves-. [and has] shown the past, the present, and the future, all at the same time." In the illustration, the crocodile's head is off the canvas, across the wall and over an open window, which is not possible unless the art were made of collage. This book is a bit abstract for most audiences.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
K-Gr. 3. "In the grassy fields of Africa, there is a school where young animals learn to read and write, to make music and art." From their school windows, the animals look out at a river in which a fierce crocodile swims. When their teacher suggests that they paint the scary croc, Lion chooses jagged lines and brilliant purple. The other students laugh, but the teacher explains: "Little Lion has used color to show how he feels. In painting, this is called Expressionism." Cubism, Futurism, Abstractionism, and Dada are similarly defined, until one frustrated animal throws his paints into the river. The croc, looking decidedly less fierce in his newly acquired colors, retaliates by making his own painting. As a story, this doesn't really work; it's contrived, flimsy, and didactic. But Montanari, an Italian artist, does a fine job of explaining difficult art concepts to the very young, and her art, in bold colors and inventive shapes, is both appealing and whimsical. Not a necessary purchase, but a useful supplement to an art curriculum. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Eva Montanari studied at the European School of Design in Milan. Discovered at the 2001 Bologna Book Fair she was immediately asked to participate in the 2002 exhibition, and has already begun work on future book projects. She lives in Rimini, Italy.

Customer Reviews

RECOMMENDED by LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION
The following review appeared in the January 2003 issue of LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION:

Even young children will come to understand various styles of art, including Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstractionism, and Dada, as they follow the artwork of a school full of African animals.... This is a clever way of helping children understand how art styles work, and art teachers will appreciate having it.... The author's effective watercolor illustations help children understand artistic variations. RECOMMENDED.