December 2018

No One Saw: Ordinary Things Through the Eyes of an Artist

Bob Raczka

December's book of the month is something a little different: I like to think of it as a literary trip to the museum.  We are all about to take a little time off from our regular schedules and a trip to the art museum can be a nice option for a family activity.  Even with children as young as ours, a well-planned trip to the art museum can be a magical experience.  With our crew, try a trip to a specific part or wing of a museum, rather than wandering the whole museum at once.  

If a trip isn't in the works, this book is a fantastic substitute.  The pages are filled with some iconic works of art and provide ample opportunity for "noticing" - when reading together, describe to your child what you see and then ask them what they see.  Talking with children about art can be surprising and enlightening - they have some incredible observations.  

Another interesting feature of this book is the discussion of seeing the world through the eyes of an artist.  I love our classroom because not only do your children bring their own "eyes" to school, our teachers each bring a different perspective as well.  Each day, we all look at the world through the eyes of literacy experts, mathematicians, artists, actors, scientists, and more.  Our duty parents, grandparents, babysitters, and friends add to the mix as well.  These different perspectives create the vibrant community in which we all get to work and play - what a wonderful world.