A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good.

A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good. Mark Gonyea. New York New York, state, United States
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Henry Holt, 2005. 144 pp., $18.95.

The elaborate happy face on the cover sets the book's tone: saturated pure colors and geometric shapes This is a list of geometric shapes. Generally composed of straight line segments

polygon
concave polygon
constructible polygon

are manipulated in a lighthearted fashion. Squares and circles are used to demonstrate what happens to our perceptions when they change position, size, and color. There are ten chapters, each dealing with a design concept like contrast or balance or warm vs. cool colors. The very few words are often couched as questions and always tinged with a sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor"
sense of humour, humor, humour . Young elementary students should get the basic ideas rather easily. Older youngsters may be motivated to use these brilliantly printed examples as a launching pad for personal explorations. For another way of approaching page design, check out Molly Bang's Picture This.

Reviewed by Rebecca J. Martin, art specialist, Oakhurst Elementary, Fort Worth ISD See IDD. .

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Author:	Martin, Rebecca J.
Publication:	School Arts
Article Type:	Book review
Date:	Apr 1, 2006
Words:	151
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