Magritte's Apple

PreS-Gr 3—Even the youngest of children will be drawn to surrealism with this appealing picture book introduction to the art of René Magritte. Readers witness the incredible, always-thinking mind of the artist. ("His canvas was empty, but his head was full. Full of ideas about objects and words.") An impromptu nap sets Magritte on a wonderful dream journey that incorporates many images and symbols from his actual paintings—an apple and a hat turn into an apple-hat. Verplancke even addresses Magritte's penchant for pairing words with the "wrong" images. ("He was a painter of words and things, and sometimes his words described other things.") Verplancke's illustrations manipulate Magritte's imagery in a way that simultaneously honors the spirit of the artist while expressing the illustrator's own sense of playfulness. Reproductions of six Magritte paintings appear at the end, and readers are invited to find images from those paintings in the book's artwork. His The Red Model, for example, is creatively alluded to in at least two of the illustrations. As odd as some of the imagery is, the visuals feel lighthearted and friendly, and the text is accessible. Verplancke presents the artist's work in a way that is enjoyable and comprehensible without being overly cute or condescending. A biography of the artist appears in the back with his photograph for the curious.