Salvador Dali and the Surrealists

September 1, 2003
Salvador Dali and the Surrealists: Their Lives and Ideas by Michael Elsohn Ross explores the life and artistic development of Salvador Dali and the people and events that influenced the surrealists. Various activities encourage kids to experiment with surrealist art by making inkblots, solar prints similar to Man Ray's, and "exquisite corpse" drawings, in which a group of artists each add something to a single drawing. Includes reproductions of famous paintings by Dali , Magritte, Oppenheim and others, historical photos, glossary and a list of museums and Web sites featuring surrealist works.

Starred review from December 1, 2003
Gr 6 Up-This visually stunning work enhances the body of material on the artist and his contemporaries. Eminently readable, the crisply written text is detailed and thorough, including pronunciations of many place and personal names. Dal 's life is presented familiarly, drawing in many details of life as an artist during that period in Europe and the relationships among the surrealists. No actual dialogue is included, but conclusions are drawn about Dali's thoughts from historical evidence. Sidebars cover other artists (Miro Eluard, Picasso), styles (Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art), and elements of history (the Spanish Civil War, Fascism and Franco, Communism). The attractive layout includes numerous excellent-quality reproductions of the work of Dali and many of the other artists mentioned in the text, and period photographs. Of particular interest here are the 21 activities that will engage budding artists and encourage them to think and to look at familiar objects in a different way. Requiring no unusual supplies, they might be used by classroom teachers as well. There are rich potentials for jumps from here to history and the "'20s in Europe" art era. A valuable addition to any collection.-Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2003
Gr. 9-12. He was the quintessential crazy artist: a radical, contentious Spanish painter who put his dreams on canvas; an unashamed self-promoter who also wrote books, worked with Hollywood directors, and rubbed elbows with the likes of the Beatles. Ross treats readers to an episodic, roughly chronological glimpse of the eccentric artist and his work, especially his association with surrealism. This isn't a close-up view. Ross keeps a somewhat disappointing distance from his intriguing subject, and the biographical facts are constantly interrupted by boxed insets (often quite interesting) with information about Dali's fellow artists and their turbulent relationships and the times during which they painted. There are also projects to help reinforce the ideas adopted by the surrealists. The reproductions are good but too few for a book such as this, and although Ross' text descriptions of the art are very clear and visual, they really can't replace a look at the real thing. Still, readers are sure to come away with a sense of both the man and the art that will make them want to investigate further.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)