Master-Pieces: Flip and Flop 10 Great Works of Art

K-Gr 4—Ten portrait masterpieces from art history can be mixed and matched to make a multitude of faces in this fun book about fine art. By turning flaps, children can superimpose Mona Lisa's smile or Vincent van Gogh's straw hat onto George Washington's portrait. Like the images, the text can either be read straight through or mixed up to create playful, mashed-up descriptions. Though the information is brief, there is enough material about the artists and their subjects to make this an enjoyable springboard into art appreciation. There is diversity among those represented in the portraits as well as the painters, who include Frida Kahlo, Sandro Botticelli, Archibald J. Motley Jr., Toshusai Sharaku, and more. A note to adults suggests that students may add their own self-portraits to a page and mix and match with them. This work easily lends itself to other potential extension activities and will make a perfect accompaniment to a museum field trip or portrait art project. It will also be especially welcome as an option for kinesthetic learners and as a tool for art teachers. This sturdy and well-made volume has laminated cardboard pages and rounded corners to withstand enthusiastic library use.