Summary:

This book provides the definition and history of museums. "The Museum Book" explores the variety of types of museums and the different collections that can be found in museums. The pages and text are inviting and interesting, allowing a reader with no personal knowledge about museums to have insight into what can be found in a museum.

Personal Reaction:

I thought this book would be uninteresting, and instead found that the pictures - a mixed media collage of text and pictures - drew me in. The author's voice narrating the information was easy to follow, and in language that could be easily understood by the younger audience. I believe this book would be an excellent addition to the classroom that uses exploration as a method for learning.

Classroom Extensions:

1 - Introduce the book to the class, read a chapter at a time giving the students time to reflect and respond to each chapter. Using the chapter as a reference, create a museum gallery in the classroom for the students to share their classroom treasures, works of art, and "artifacts." The exhibits can be rotated - just as exhibits are rotated in larger museums.

2 - Ask the students if they have been to a museum. Students who have can write about their personal experience visiting a museum, students who have not can write about a museum they would like to visit in the future. ( )

Thought this was pretty fascinating . . . considering it was a random Dewey Decimal Roulette pick ( )

The story of museums begins with a small girl who runs into a mysterious building to shelter from the rain....

What are all these strange things? How are they related? Why are they here? Marks explains the history of museums in a series of short chapters and aong the way, she talks about the Greek muses, the evolution of human knowledge, medieval Christianity, Russian history, architecture, and current controversies in the the ownership of antiquities.

This book is very like the museum of the opening piece - a collection of fascinating pieces packed together in one place. The illustrations follow this pattern, including both print and collage, sometimes humorous, sometimes technical.

One could quibble with the ending paean to memory, "But there is another kind of collection that everyone has, including you. It is in your head. Everything you have ever seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched is in there....You can get it out and have an exhibition whenever you want". If you've ever lost your keys or had a pop quiz, you know memory is not so simple!

However, it's a fascinating look at museums, history, knowledge, and the way humans think.

Verdict: An interesting and unusual book, this will need some special booktalking - and specific children and parents - to find an audience. An additional purchase.

ISBN: 0763633704; Published September 2007 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Travel the timeline of the museum in this whimsical picture book. Starting with the mythological muses, the text proceeds in short chapters presenting museum goers of all ages the history and present state of the world's museums. The text gives readers just enough information to gain a basic level of understanding of the history of museums as well as some of the controversial issues facing the museum world without coming across in a cursory manner. A glossary and index conclude the book, but a list of references or further reading is noticeably absent. The illustrations are both interesting and unique. The illustrator's whimsical and detailed approach will keep reader's attention through the lengthier blocks of text. Additionally, a few spreads require the reader to turn the book 90 degrees clockwise to read the text. The book concludes with an interesting analogy between collections in museums and collections in your mind. People of all ages will enjoy the thought provoking way in which the museum is discussed throughout the text. A must for museum libraries, middle schools and high schools. ( )

In solid blocks of text and run-on sentences, Mark explores the history of museums. Although it does contain a plethora of interesting facts, the book seemed poorly organized to me, repeating itself occasionally. The mixed media collage illustrations didn't feel like a great match and on at least one occasion a building discussed in the text was not included when all the others were. There's a glossary and index at the end of the book, but no source notes or references. It's altogether possible that this book just didn't strike a chord with me, but I was disappointed. ( )