No one wanted the "giant." The hulking block of marble lay in the work yard, rained on, hacked at, and abandoned—until a young Michelangelo saw his David in it. This is the story of how a neglected, discarded stone became a masterpiece for all time. It is also a story about art—about an artist’s vision and process, and about the ways in which we humans see ourselves reflected in art.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Here's a great way to get a child into the stories behing great works of art.
By Bob Walch
Artistic masterpieces all have interesting back stories . This fascinating and well illustrated book tells the story behind the creation of Michelangelo's David. Frankly, I didn't know this story and found it as interesting as any young reader would. After becoming familiar with the struggle to create this large statue and then move it to where it could be enjoyed by the citizens of Florence, Italy, I am now even more entranced by this marvelous work of art.This is the way to introduce children to art. When they are young tell them the stories behind the works themselves and the artists. Then expose the youngster to the actual art itself. After reading this book I rather think the child will want to see what the statue looks like.Book provided by publisher.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Fascinating
By pageturner
Kids are going to love this well-researched and age-appropriate story about Michelangelo's great masterpiece. Love the illustrations--both whimsical and historically accurate.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.A great introduction for kids to great art!
By rhody ahtist
An interesting look at how Michelangelo carved the statue of David. It's nicely readable, makes for an interesting story, and introduces us to Florence in the early 1500's and the technique of stone-carving. John Shelley's detailed watercolor paintings are over-the-moon good. You could spend hours looking at the detailed clothing and city scenes, and he's used color and value to make the statue almost pop off the busy pages.
