ANNOTATION

A spot-the-difference game, mystery story, and art book in which readers try to tell which paintings are genuine and which are forgeries. Includes magnifying glass and split-page format.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Museum of Art has a big problem. Some of the museum's priceless masterpieces have been stolen and replaced by cunning forgeries! Are your eyes sharp enough to spot the differences between the fake and the real Rousseau? Hone your detective skills and find the tell-tale clues that will help the police track down the master forgers, and bring back the missing masterpieces. This one-of-a-kind book combines a mystery story, fun spot-the-difference puzzles, and a fantastic introduction to some of the world's greatest art. Guaranteed to enthrall children of all ages, Art Fraud Detective includes historical information on each painting, tips on the techniques of the Old Masters, and a glossary of art terms. Features art by: Rembrandt; Constable; Monet; Picasso; Raphael; Van Gogh; and more!

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature

The latest innovation in art-history-for-kids books is a British import devised with the cooperation of The National Gallery of Art in London. Designed in the form of a mystery to make each reader into a detective, the book is a curious combination of real and faux art. Andy Parker's comic book/computer game-style illustrations surround and overlap the masterpieces that each detective must inspect (with the help of the enclosed magnifying glass) in order to locate which museum pictures have been replaced with forgeries by notorious art-forging rings. It is a clever concept, a sort of Where's Waldo for slightly older children. Who can complain about any effort to train the eyes and intellects of the next generation of museum goers? 2000, Kingfisher. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-A clever "spot the difference" book that also serves as a good introduction to art history. Using a comic-strip format, Nilsen alerts readers to the fact that 30 of these 34 paintings are fakes. A double spread identifies the 16 suspected forgers, the symbol their particular gang hides on each forgery, and the number of changes (one to four) they deliberately added to each painting. The premise is to figure out which character forged which classic piece, and to determine which one of them snitched. The paintings, which include Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asni res and Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, are ingeniously depicted in their original and altered forms on split pages featuring the forgeries above and the museum catalog below. Readers are supposed to match up the forger with the artwork (a magnifying glass enables them to verify their detective work). The catalog pages briefly describe the artists' lives, their work, and the showcased piece. This approach should prove popular; it's something of a Where's Waldo (Candlewick) for older children. Although the paintings date from the 15th to the 20th century, no American artwork is presented.-Carol Fazioli, formerly at The Brearley School, New York City Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.