If Picasso Painted a Snowman

August 15, 2017
A range of art styles is explored in this picture book that invites readers to imagine how various artists would paint a snowman.An anthropomorphic hamster wields a paintbrush in opening double-page spreads alongside narration that never mentions it. "If someone asked you to paint a snowman, you would probably start with three white circles stacked upon one another." The hamster is doing exactly that. It then describes how 17 different artists would paint a snowman, describing diverse styles, techniques, and movements. Diversity ends on that note, however, with only three women among the 17 artists (Georgia O'Keefe, Pablita Velarde, and Sonia Delaunay), one person of color (Jacob Lawrence) and one Native person (Pablita Velarde). The examples of the art mimic some of the artists' famous paintings but incorporate imagined snowmen into them. For example, Dali's "snowmen drip like melted cheese" in a double-page spread that emulates The Persistence of Memory with flattened, drooping snowmen rather than timepieces depicted on the surreal landscape. The off-and-on reappearance of the artist hamster seems a bit intrusive, but a closing spread with a blank easel nicely invites readers to copy it and make their own snowman painting. Endnotes provide further context about the artists, but they do not consistently name the referenced paintings or provide sources for quotations. A playful introduction to various art movements, albeit a narrow one with weak backmatter. (Picture book. 5-9)

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September 18, 2017
The Newbolds use the example of a snowman to drive home the idea that “not all artists paint the same.” With a cherubic hamster as guide, who wields paintbrushes and mugs for readers, Amy Newbold imagines how 17 famous artists might have painted a snowman, giving her husband a chance to try out each artist’s style. A large snowman cuddles two smaller ones, all wrapped up in a quilted blanket, in a Klimt-inspired spread; in a remake of Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory, flattened snowmen replace drooping clocks. Newbold keeps the text short and punchy (“Blam! Roy Lichtenstein’s snow hero saves the day!”), and she covers a range of artistic styles, from Monet’s impressionism to Klee’s abstract art and the “flat” images of Pueblo artist Pablita Velarde. A blank easel invites readers to contribute their own snowmen, and the book concludes with capsule biographies of the featured painters. The hamster’s antics can be a bit much (he’s shown with a bandage over a missing ear on the Van Gogh page), but in all it’s an inviting introduction to a range of important painters. Ages 6–12.

February 1, 2018

Gr 1-4-Did you ever wonder how Vincent van Gogh would paint a snowman? Or how Georgia O'Keeffe might depict the frozen subject? This book shows the reader how 17 well-known artists might illustrate this particular subject matter. The story begins with the simple way most know: draw three circles, add the eyes, triangle shaped nose, and a dotted smile. Then things become interesting. A snowman shape is incorporated into a famous artist's painting or one is created in his/her style. Instead of melting clocks, as in Salvador Dali's painting, we see liquefied snowmen. There is a pointillism snowman in the style of Georges Seurat, and you'll never look at Grant Wood's American Gothic painting the same again. The artwork is excellent as the illustrator captures the artist's style perfectly. The slight amount of text is just enough to engage young readers. A small hamster is the guide throughout. He dons a beret, mustache, or a bandaged ear (a tribute to van Gogh). The hamster may not be on every page, but when he is present, he adds humor. The end of the book includes information about the artists named and a bit about their individual styles of art. VERDICT An excellent way to introduce children to classic artists and their styles. It also might encourage budding artists to think outside the box and create images in their own unique style.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

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