Developed for the younger set (4-6 year olds) and targeting one of the most critical developmental periods for children; Art Lab for Little Kids is the perfect book for both parents and teachers who are seeking enriching and unique experiences to offer this age group.As in Susan Schwakersquo;s first book; Art Lab for Kids (Quarry Books; 2012); the Labs can be used as singular projects; or used to build up to a year of hands-on fine art experiences. Each Lab also features the work of a prominent artist for inspiration. The book begins with an introduction on materials and setting up a space for making art. The lessons that follow are open-ended to be explored over and over ndash; with different results each time. They are geared for children being taught or guided by adults and are successful on all levels of experience and age. They do not result in ldquo;cookie cutterrdquo; end products; but are a method of learning something new each time they are used.This motivational book stands out as a unique reference for creating fine art with children through finding the studentrsquo;s own voice; marks and style and with playful lessons that result in significant skill building. Gorgeous photography shows different results from different people using the same lesson; exemplifying the way the lesson brings out each artistrsquo;s personal style. Art Lab for Little Kids is a fresh source of creative activities for families and community groups or will work as lesson plans for both experienced and new art teachers in home school; preschool; and kindergarten environments.
#769274 in eBooks 2013-05-21 2013-05-21File Name: B00CYNTWL4
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Runaway expenses; foolish casting; and the collapse of the studio system produced white elephant musicals between 1965 and 1972By Stephen O. MurrayI originally planned to read only about a few of the roadshow musicals Matthew Kennedy discusses in" Roadshow: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s;" but; after reading a few; went to the beginning and read the book straight through. I learned a lot; even if I was just fine with much of that.Like many other writers about the Sixties; Kennedyrsquo;s focus is on the late-1960s (after the profitable ldquo;My Fair Ladyrdquo; and ldquo;Mary Poppinsrdquo; in 1964and the blockbuster success of the ldquo;The Sound of Musicrdquo; in 1965) and into the early-1970s. One of the 21 roadshow musicals; ldquo;Fiddler on the Roof;rdquo; dates from 1971; and Bob Fosse; Liza Minnelli; and Joel Grey won Oscars for a (non-roadshow) musical in 1972. It is not that each big musical was a bigger money-loser than the one before; following the fatal path of finding a next ldquo;Sound of Music.rdquo;Among the surprises are that ldquo;Thoroughly Modern Millierdquo; and ldquo;Song of Norwayrdquo; turned profits during their initial theatrical releases. That the studio system was collapsing was both a cause for bad decisions and cost overruns of Broadway musicals and an effect of expensive failures (including some roadshows that were not musicals). Studio executives had long been casting stars without singing or dancing talents onto directors of musicals (see When BroadwayWhen Broadway Went to Hollywood Went to Hollywood); and seemingly valuing set design more than musical performance. (This is not to say that movies with leads who could sing were critical or commercial successes; e.g.; ldquo;Hello; Dolly!rdquo; and ldquo;Star!rdquo;) Failure of many of these big investments is less surprising mdash; especially given information Kennedy relates mdash; is less mysterious than success mdash;especially the ldquo;fatal successrdquo; of ldquo;The Sound of Music;rdquo; not the greatest Rodgers and Hammerstein musical filmed by Hollywood studiosmdash;it was ldquo;fatal;rdquo; or at least expensive; in attempts to catch and resell whaever magic was in it.Though Julie Andrews was for a time the biggest box-office actress in the world; two musical extravaganzas built around her were aborted; and the two that were carried to term sank like rocks. To me this shows that the fixation on stars was a misplaced priority of the money-men; as many projectsrsquo; budgets ballooned to levels where profit was an impossible dream (to borrow the title of a song from one of the failures; the dismal ldquo;Man of La Manchardquo;).Though the book is more about the business of movie-making (and publicizing) than about the art of cinema; what Kennedy writes analyzing the movies that were made and released is mostly impeccable. I like ldquo;The Matchmakerrdquo; more than he; but his diss of it is quite in passing. He makes me consider watching ldquo;Goodbye; Mr. Chips;rdquo; if it ever falls in my path.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Coulda ShouldaBy A. Film LoverCertainly a good idea for a book; but there is so much anecdotal evidence that simply is either made up; misremembered; untrue; or missing that after a while I just tuned out; Im afraid. Certainly its my kind of book; but it just didnt work for me. So; for me; kind of an "eh" book that should have and could have been better. His "reportage" of Doctor Dolittle doesnt even bother to mention that the film received cutting after its premiere in Hollywood - he mentions cuts made after previews; but those were not nearly as major as the cuts made post-premiere. Its also a problem when an author has undoubtedly chosen to write a book about a subject he has no first-hand experience with. I doubt he saw any of the big roadshows back in the 1960s - I did - every single one of them. But even calling this book Roadshow is weird because roadshows were not limited to musicals.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Raindrops on Roses -- by the megatonBy Snookie HandsomeYou might not think the collapse of the mammoth Hollywood musical would have the makings of a rich rewarding book; but "Roadshow!" Is itself a blockbuster; at least in terms of solid entertainment value if not in terms of tickets (or copies) sold. This show is a tour de force e; however; for an author who may have a scholars credentials but zero scholarly stuffiness. Mr Kennedy proves an insightful and sprightly eulogizer as he traces the collapse of the Big Fat Musical (marked by portentous presentation that in turn was marked; perhaps pock-marked; by inflated budgets and; usually; reserved-seat tickets at near-Broadway prices. Yes you purchased tickets days or weeks in advance and "dressed up" for the performance you attended; even tho the actors had long since deposited their pay checks and gone home. It was an attempt at turning a movie into an automatic event; and sometimes -- as with that definitive blockbuster "The Sound of Music" -- it worked smashingly to the satisfaction of audience and filmgoer alike. Sadly; the subgenre blew itself out; as producers attempted the transformation of musical after musical from pleasantly diversionary escapist lark into vulgar; bombastic; overreaching nuclear device. "Sound of Music" became the most imitated film of its time; even though the ingredients that made it a hit were very unlikely to be duplicated; how many movies can winningly mingle Nazis; nunneries; marionettes; ersatz-Viennese schmaltz; adorably trilling toddlers; stiff-upper-lip-locked romance and sweeping spectacle? Oh and one more novelty item: force-of-nature and superGoody Two-shoes; Julie Andrews? Kennedy makes his account of this definitive and epochal Hollywood folly not a lachrymose lament but a wisely witty funereal romp; he masterfully delineates each and every lesson that should have been learned but which; in wacky Hollywood style; wasnt. This book is one of the new centurys most unlikely delights; and even though its been gracing bookshelves for several years now; its as freshly freaky as a crushed carnation. And funny. Very very funny.