Imagine That!: Activities and Adventures in Surrealism »

Joyce Raimondo is the author of Art Safari, an award-winning series of children's books, kits, and on-line programming. She was the family programs coordinator at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for eight years. Now director of her own consulting company, she specializes in helping children access the arts. Clients include Sesame Street, Blues' Clues, and the Pollack-Krasner House. She lives in New York City.

The Art Explorers series offers a new approach to art! Written by experts in the field, it encourages kids to interpret what they see in famous artworks, then try the techniques themselves.
Imagine That!: Activities and Adventures in Surrealism, the first book in the series, draws children into the fantastic, imaginative world of surrealism by highlighting the work of six famous surrealist artists. For each artist, a color reproduction of his or her famous artwork is paired with questions to get kids thinking about what they see. A short paragraph explains the artist's intentions, and a bio gives children a peek at the person behind the art. Easy-to-follow activities then provide hands-on experience with the artist's techniques, subject, and media, each illustrated with examples by actual kids. Techniques include collage, watercolor painting, drip painting, drawing, frottage, watercolor resist painting, printmaking, sculpture, and more.

Features the Following Surrealist Artists:

• Salvador Dali

• René Magritte

• Max Ernst

• Joan Miró

• Meret Oppenheim

• Frida Kahlo

• Launch of new interactive art book series for kids called Art Explorers

• Features big-name artists that are consistent draws for kids and their parents

• Activities have been kid-tested and approved

• From the former family programs coordinator of New York's Museum of Modern Art

Publishers Weekly

Nonfiction entries explore the arts, sciences and traditions. The inaugural title in the Art Explorers series, Imagine That!: Activities and Adventures in Surrealism by Joyce Raimondo examines six Surrealist artists (Ren Magritte, Max Ernst and Frida Kahlo, among others) and offers creative ideas for children using variations of the artists' methods. Accessibly designed pages teem with blocks of boldly colored prompts and observations, alongside reproductions of the artists' works and those done by children loosely emulating their techniques. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.