So, as promised, the second children’s book that we downloaded to review was: “Speeding Down the Spiral: An Artful Adventure” by Deborah Goodman Davis and illustrated by Sophy Naess.

Verdict: we all loved it!!

It’s 33 pages long, with some pages containing some complex and extended text, but our 5yo was engaged and excited about the pictures and the story throughout.  And the bonus was that we got introduced (or reintroduced) to a selection of wonderful modern art.

From Roy Lichtenstein’s Grrrrrrrrrrr!! (1965) to a large pile of black rod licorice candies created by Felix Gonzalez-Torres in 1991, with Picasso, Chagall, Cezanne, and a host of other intriguing artists and works of art in between.  And, it’s punctuated by the tension of the notion of a baby brother in a stroller careening down the spiral to potential doom.  This story is enough to compete with Power Rangers and Super Heroes, and that’s big, in our house!

A particular favorite was a piece and an artist that I was unfamiliar with: Alberto Giacometti, Nose (Le Nez), 1947, cast 1965.

They thought it was Pinocchio!  We kept turning back to this page, and mulling over what it meant.  I love that!

Let alone the fact that I love the Guggenheim Museum, and I can’t wait to take these talented and artistic boys there!

Enjoy the book – it’s available on Amazon here.