Making a Great Exhibition

Aiming to explain how an art exhibition comes to be, Globus starts with the art's creation, introducing Viola, a brown-skinned sculptor who "makes art of rock, marble, metal, and clay," and Sebastian, a tan-skinned painter of "shapes and lines on canvases of all sizes." Globus is particularly good at explaining these imagined creators' processes: Viola "finds forms like circles, swirls, and lines in nature and makes them into something brand new." But the actual organizing impulse of an exhibition--usually centered in curatorial thinking and development-office needs--is obscured by a flurry of democratically mentioned roles, from a lighting designer to an event coordinator and a museum guard (readers don't meet the museum's curator until after the art pieces arrive). Blake's hip illustrations employ blocky, crisp shapes in saturated color, with captions and labels identifying objects and processes. Visual Easter eggs for arty adults, such as a mini depiction of Donald Judd's Writings, conjure a certain in-the-know art-world cool. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--A glimpse into the work that goes into an art exhibition. Globus begins with two fictional abstract artists: Viola, a sculptor of large freestanding pieces, and Sebastian, a painter of large geometric oils. Where they work, the everyday items that inspire them, the media they use, the studies they create, and the assistants Viola employs, are all duly noted. The text operates on three levels: a paragraph per full-page illustration or spread advances the story line; single sentences describe individual scenes on each spread; and one-word labels note the many items (chair, airplane) and tools of the trade (blow torch, canvas) found throughout. Mirroring the artists' work, Blake's illustrations feature vibrant, pop background colors, and often geometric layouts. From the creators' studios, the artwork travels via plane, boat, and truck to the museum, where readers are introduced to the diverse staff that plays a role in putting on an exhibit, with a brief description of what each person does. And, as it should, hoopla surrounds the show's grand opening: the artists arrive in fancy dress, photos are taken, guests descend, and later, toasts are made. Jan Mark's The Museum Book, for slightly older children, focuses on the many types of collections while adding a bit of museum history. VERDICT Place this cheery if busy introduction in the hands of early elementary teachers planning a trip to an art museum and families that frequent them for insight into the long road from artistic creation to exhibit.--Daryl Grabarek, formerly at School Library Journal