Children's Book Review: Art & Max

Title: Art & Max

Author: David Wiesner

Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: October 4th, 2010

Source: Library

Literary Awards: 
Goodreads Choice Awards for Picture Book (2010)

Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book Award (2011)

Synopsis:

Max and Arthur are friends who share an interest in painting. Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Max's first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max is inexperienced, he's courageous--and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners everywhere will take heart. 

My Thoughts:

There are many different kinds of artists. Arthur (Art for short) is a professional artist who includes a lot of detail in his paintings. Max on the other hand isn't exactly sure what to paint, or how. Even though Max is trying to prove to Art that he can paint too, he finds himself needing to ask Art what he should paint. Art replies, "You can paint me!" So he does and something terrifying and amazing happens to art! As Max works on 'painting Art', Arthur learns that all art is different and that even a beginner can make something amazing and beautiful. 

Art & Max is a delightful book for both seasoned and beginner artists. Whether you are coloring with crayons or painting with oils, all art is beautiful! 

I was drawn to the cover of this book. The reptiles are very detailed and art has always been a favorite subject of mine. Even with all the detailed pictures, the story is simple and easy to get through with a small child. Some pages were a little more condensed and looked more like comic book pages with different frames of pictures on one page. Because of the detail and split pages I would recommend this for kids over 1 or 2 years old.