I SPY A LION

Micklethwait continues in her ``I Spy'' tradition (I Spy Two Eyes, 1993, etc.) in this latest game of looking at art. She has selected 20 paintings from the world's greatest collections and has beautifully reproduced them here so that readers can find the animals Micklethwait names: the lion of the title, a parrot, a camel, and many more. And the creatures are not always easy to find. Sometimes they are abstracted, sometimes fragmented, occasionally they are just plain hidden. The medieval elephant, while clearly displayed, looks so little like our own representations of elephants that children will have to look twice. Some stuffier art lovers might be shocked at the cavalier use Micklethwait makes of such masterpieces as Renoir's The Luncheon of the Boating Party, Boucher's Spring, and Picasso's The Soles, but they would be missing the genius of this book. Not only will children be exposed to the finest fine art, but the will enjoy it. And Micklethwait has thought of a way to insure that kids really look at these spectacular works. Brilliant, beautiful, and fun. (Nonfiction/Picture book. All ages)