View source for Think and Make Like an Artist by Claudia Boldt and Eleanor Meredith

{{infobox2
|title=Think and Make Like an Artist
|author=Claudia Boldt and Eleanor Meredith
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=An activity book for children that has some great things to do, but also makes it fun to wonder why you are doing them.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=80
|publisher=Thames and Hudson Ltd
|date=April 2017
|isbn=9780500650981
|website=http://claudiaboldt.com/
|video=
|aznuk=0500650985
|aznus=0500650985
|cover=0500650985
}}
 
Having been banned from the Tate Modern by my partner for making too many snarky remarks, I am not sure that I ever want to think or make like an artist.  My unartistic brain is unable to comprehend most art.  I see a rain-dirty valley, but the artists sells you Brigadoon.  A lot of what makes art great is knowing what it is meant to represent; even I have been swayed on occasion once I have been informed.  Therefore, to teach art appreciation to a young audience will hold them in good stead and could also be great fun.
 
''Think and Make Like an Artist'' is an activity book, but one that does more than just give you a series of fun tasks to do.  Yes, there are plenty of artistic endeavours on offer, but Boldt and Meredith go out of their way to describe to the reader why certain artistic forms exist.  This is a book that truly pays attentions to its title – make, but also think like an artist.
 
The book is split into a series of sections which explore different types of art e.g. painting, illustration and sculpture.  Each highlights an artist to give a real-world example of what you could do.  The book then goes one step further and challenges you to think about the format you are using.  For example, what is a sculpture if it is not seen?  Consider what you would create, but also where you would show it and what it is trying to say.  Many activity books completely ignore the idea that there is a reason for art.  The authors manage to raise this without sounding patronising and actually make thinking about the reasons behind art fun.
 
The activities themselves are also great.  Most are achievable with items most families will have in their homes already, although some of them will need quite a bit of thought and effort beforehand.  There are activities here that I have not seen done with such ambition before – illustrating your old photos, or making giant characters out of boxes.  Things could get a little messy, but at least you will enjoy yourselves as you do it.  The clever ideas are slightly complex so the book is better for the 7-10 year old market, but the activities are fun enough that you will want to tackle them as a family.
 
One final thing worth mentioning about the book is that you can tell is has been made by artists as it is nice to look at.  The larger format makes it fun to pick up, but it is the use of space that stands out.  Boldt and Meredith have not crammed too much onto the pages and use whitespace to make the book look better, but also make it easier to follow.  ''Think and Make Like an Artist'' is a fabulous activity book, especially for a family with an artistic child or two.        
 
There is an activity book for all types: [[Flowerpot Farm: A First Gardening Activity Book by Lorraine Harrison]].
 
{{amazontext|amazon=0500650985}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=0500650985}}
 
{{commenthead}}
[[Category:Claudia Boldt]]
[[Category:Eleanor Meredith]]