“What do goopy snails and porcupines have to do with knights in sparkling armor? A lot, in fact! Kids’ favorite things are combined in Armor & Animals to give them a gateway into the world of art. The armor collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, beloved by its young visitors, provides the remarkable helmets, shields, and more that appear in the book, and which experienced museum educator Liz Yohlin Baill compares to the shells, scales, and spikes that protect animals.
Children are educated about art and animals through engaging text combined with vibrant, contemporary visuals and actual armor. Children learn that a herd of rhinos is referred to as a crash when a rhino runs into a knight. Even if dragons aren’t real, a fire-breathing dragon carved on armor can nonetheless give a horse a tough look. Children can relate art to their reality as they study by thinking about the helmets, goggles, and other “armor” they use to make their own activities safer.”
