This book talk presentation summarizes the book "Unlikely Pairs" by Bob Raczka. The book pairs unrelated works of art and challenges readers to think of connections between them. It encourages critical thinking and can be used to teach art appreciation. The presentation discusses how the book aligns with educational standards and could be used in the classroom, such as having students analyze image pairs or find their own connections between disparate things.
1. Book Talk Presentation Book cover image: http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Pairs-Bob-Raczkas-Adventures/dp/0761323783
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5. Section I: Bibliography LC Control No.: 2003014078 LCCN Permalink: http://lcn.loc.gov/2003014078 Type of Material: Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, et. Personal Name: Racka, Bob Main Title: Unlikely pairs; fun with famous works of art/Bob Raczka Published/Created: Minneapolis, Minn.: Millbrook Press, c2006 Description: 31 p. : col. Ill; 27 cm. ISBN: 9780761329367 (lib. Bdg.) ISBN: 0761329366 (lib. Bdg.) ISBN: 9780761323785 (pbk.) ISBN: 0761323783 (pbk.) Call Number: N7477.$34 2006 Raczka, B, ( 2006). Unlikely pairs: fun with famous works of art. Minneapolis, MN. Millbrook Press. Amazon recommended age: 4-8 Borders recommended age: 8 - 12 Book cover image: http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Pairs-Bob-Raczkas-Adventures/dp/0761323783 Art appreciation - Juvenile Literature 1. Art appreciation 2. Painting
6. Author Raczka focuses his books on helping children to see and appreciate art and artists in new ways. Raczka is an award winning copywriter and creative director of an advertising firm. After establishing himself in this field and following the birth of his first child, he began writing children’s books. ALA Notable Book Award Winner “ Writing books for children is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.” Bob Raczka Photograph: http://www.bobraczka.com/author-visits/index.html Biographical information: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1820/Raczka-Bob-1963.html
7. Reviews According to the School Library Journal Review, Raczka should receive an A+ for cleverness for his book that pairs unconnected artwork; artwork that would likely never be seen displayed in a museum side-by-side. Although this is a wordless book, the review describes the back-end section that contains thumb-nail illustrations along with additional information about the author and the artwork. The review suggests that the book is an amusing way to introduce children to famous works of art. ALA Notable Book Award A+
8. Summary Get your mind ready! This book will get you thinking! Unlikely Pairs has the reader taking two pieces of art from different artists and from different eras and pairs them together to make a connection. Can you figure out how the pieces go together?
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11. Eventually everything connects. People, ideas, objects. The quality of of the connections is the key. ~ Charles Eames http://www.easyart.com/art-prints/Keith-Haring/Untitled-50106.html http://www.sai.msu.su/wm/paint/auth/vermeer/vermeer.guitar-player.jpg
12. Eventually everything connects. People, ideas, objects. The quality of of the connections is the key. ~ Charles Eames http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=floor%20burger%20oldenburg&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=702 http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=702&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=the+cow+with+the+subtile+nose&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=& gs_rfai =
13. Eventually everything connects. People, ideas, objects. The quality of of the connections is the key. ~ Charles Eames http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=breezing+up&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=spray%20lichtenstein&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=702
14. Eventually everything connects. People, ideas, objects. The quality of of the connections is the key. ~ Charles Eames http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=the%20thinker&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=702 http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=large%20chess%20board%20klee&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=702
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26. Life Imitating Art Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/30-pictures-of-life-imitating-art
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29. Application to the Classroom Supporting literature Cover Art: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803725701/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0803723016&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1D7ZA708MZXVYA5ZQMSG You Can’t Take A Balloon Into The Museum of Fine Arts By Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser This book is the perfect companion for Unlikely Pairs. A young girl visits the art museum while her rogue balloon takes a trek throughout Boston finding scenes that capture the flavor of the artwork the girl is viewing.
30. You Can’t Take A Balloon Into The Museum of Fine Arts By Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser
31. Application to the classroom Supporting literature What do a pig and an arrangement of flowers have in common? More Than Meets the Eye By Bob Raczka Again, Raczka has the reader looking at art differently, this time by categorizing famous pieces by the senses that might be tapped into by viewing it. Art that might make us think of tasting or hearing or smelling are linked together. Cover art: http://www.amazon.com/Seen-Art-Jon-Scieszka/dp/0670059862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279754812&sr=1-1
32. Application to the classroom Supporting literature Seen Art? By Jon Sciezka This is another art adventure that would compliment the featured text. In this book, a young boy is searching for his friend named “Art.” He asks a passerby if he has “seen Art?”, and he is directed to the art museum where the young boy continues to look for his friend while also seeing a lot of “art!” Cover art: http://www.amazon.com/Seen-Art-Jon-Scieszka/dp/0670059862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279754812&sr=1-1
33. Application to the classroom Supporting literature A Nickel, a Trolley, a Treasure House By Sharon Reiss Baker Set during the turn of the century, a young immigrant who loves to draw, is supported in his passion by his teacher who takes him to the museum for a day of exploration. Cover art:http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Trolley-Treasure-House/dp/067005982X
34. Application to the classroom Supporting literature Can You Match This? Jokes about unlikely pairs by Rick and Ann Walton This book has lots of jokes that join two things into a humorous combination. What do you get when you cross an owl with a duck? Cover art: http://rickwalton.com/books/canyou.htm A wisequack!
35. Application to the classroom Supporting literature Dubious Doublets By Stewart Edelstein What do dandelion and dentist have in common? This is a great reference book that traces words back to their historical roots to reveal a connection. Cover art: http://www.amazon.com/Dubious-Doublets-Delightful-Compendium-Porcelain/dp/0471227641
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Notes de l'éditeur
The text allows children to access literacy without the emphasis on the written word. According to Hall, “there are literacies rather than literacy and that the use of these literacies creates engagement, involves wider networks, and is consistenlty related to the everyday lives of people in their communities (p. 479). Hall continues with the following points regarding ideological literacy: What if the children were not distanced from real-world purposes for literacy, language were not distanced by being used solely for analytic purposes, and literacy experiences were derived from a complex social situation rather than from the ritualistic performance demands of school literacy tasks? What if narrative were not privileged and the genres used derived from the social need, if texts were problematic and raised issues that confronted children’s beliefs about the world and their roles and rights, and if children were treated as knowers and doers rather than as ignorant and passive? What if children’s work were not assessed, if situations explored transcended the artificial barriers of school and classroom walls, and if children were not even conscious that they were learning about literacy? What if children really cared about the situation and felt they could act toward it in a literate way? (p. 479).
It is important that English Language Learners are given the opportunity to explore and expand their language experiences naturally. According to Andrews, experiences are best if they are “intertwined.” He suggests using wordless picture books and encouraging students to create the narration and dialogue to build oral language skills and story structures (Andrews p. 323). It is important that struggling readers and ELL students are challenged cognitively while being supported within their skills (Richardson, Morgan, Fleener, p. 395). Integrated curriculum is encouraged by Andrews as a way for English Language Learners to build on existing knowledge (p. 327).
http://apps.exploratorium.edu/10cool/index.php?category=1&cmd=browse This site has links to a variety of museum sites. 2. http://gardenofpraise.com/art.htm This site has a variety of lessons that center on art appreciation and children. According to Da Vinci, “everything connects.” This site stresses the importance of making connections between disparate things as being one of the most important factors of creative thinking skills ( http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/Leonardo-da-Vinci.html ) retrieved 7/26/10). 4. http://www.criticalthinking.org/store-page.cfm?P=products&ItemID=161&catalogID=224&cateID=132 This site focuses on developing critical thinking in children
Making connections has been widely described by Keene and Zimmerman. They discuss three major types of connections (text-to-self; text-to-text and text-to-world. This text lends itself to supporting learners in making all three types of connections. The process of making connections is one that needs to be supported through teacher modeling and explicit instruction. It is, according to Keene and Zimmerman, important that learners are being supported in making “meaningful” connections (Keene and Zimmerman).