Art for Fall

Gr 2–4—The 12 crafts in each volume of this series perform double duty, providing entertaining hands-on activity for elementary schoolers while fostering a relationship with natural materials. Pine cones, leaves, flowers, and twigs are employed in many ways—as templates, frames, textures, and raw material. The use of glitter and glue, printing, and assembly of premeasured components is great for kids who aren't confident in their artistic skills. Most of the end results are decorative, with a few exceptions (rose perfume in Spring). The materials list for each project is short, making it easy to round up supplies or adapt these crafts for club or classroom use. However, in some cases, this is detrimental to the finished work, and although most (but not all) of these projects call for outdoor materials, simply going outside is not a step in any of the crafts. Winter is the standout selection here. Throughout the volumes, the layout and design are unexceptional, with randomly placed sidebars and a zigzag alignment of steps. Also, the photos are small and poorly lit.