A review by emvsmith
Seen Art? by Lane Smith, Jon Scieszka

3.0

Summary (Worldcat): While looking for his friend Art, a boy wanders through the Museum of Modern Art and is amazed by what he discovers there.

Review: This book was fun and interesting. It made me very sad that MoMA was closed while they moved to the new building during my one and only visit to New York a few years ago. This book showcases the new building and its art. I thought it was funny how the little boy looking for his friend Art is lead around the museum by those trying to share with him what they think is art. I like how everyone he meets defines art differently. Ultimately they are successful and he sees that it is all art, and then luckily he runs into his friend Art outside. The illustrations were stylish and fun, and the inclusion of a large variety of art pieces made it a great guide to modern art, which can be hard to understand and appreciate. The additional information on each piece at the end is helpful and necessary. The pieces and artists are not named, only discussed in the story itself.

The SLJ review remarks that it would be usefull to those planning a trip to MoMA but also that it is "deliberately repetitive but becomes somewhat tiresome as the book's length appears to be determined more by providing a broad overview of the museum's holdings than by a compelling plot."

More positive review in Horn Book. "The book's extra-wide pages become museum walls featuring crisply reproduced masterworks by Picasso, Warhol, etc."