cover image I Spy: An Alphabet in Art

I Spy: An Alphabet in Art

Lucy Micklethwait. Greenwillow Books, $19.99 (64pp) ISBN 978-0-688-11679-8

From the simplest of premises, Micklethwait has fashioned a remarkably rich investigation into the pleasures of looking at paintings. In search of an object beginning with a specific letter, the reader's eye roams pictorial worlds ranging from a 15th-century manuscript illumination to a David Hockney poolside. Spotting the clues hidden in abundant Dutch still lifes, vibrant genre scenes or a Goya portrait can be tricky, but the hunt is never dull, thanks to the author's unusually creative choices and their faithful reproduction. Often, more than one object in a painting satisfies the letter requirement, a subtle hint that art may prompt many questions and reward an alert viewer with multiple answers. Micklethwait understands this truth and uses it well; the images she has chosen will linger with children. All ages. (Sept.)