Great Art Adventure

Touring the wacky Museum of World Art, two contemporary Alices in Wonderland named Dave and Jane wander through New Yorker artist Knox's hilarious but loving parodies of fine art and a certain big-city museum. A sophisticated and witty guide, Knox merrily incorporates the quotidians ofmuseum-going--coat-check lines, elevators, closed-circuit security--into remarkably faithful updatings of 11 works of art, including a black-figured Greek vase, a Book of Kells illumination and a Ming dynasty landscape. Sandwiched between the exquisitely reproduced originals (complemented by brief but informative captions) and the exuberant take-offs are black-and-white cartoons of the kids looking at the art. Study that Tibetan scroll, Papua New Guinea mask, Russian icon or Native American painted buffalo robe, the author implies, then let the imagination soar. Time-honored art appreciation this is not, but Knox's kid-pleasing and original approach offers plenty of lasting lessons, including the idea that art reflects life--and vice versa. Ages 4-up. (Oct.)