From Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-This is the fourth book in which Katie visits a museum with her grandmother. This time, while Grandma is resting, the little girl admires the Mona Lisa. She wonders aloud what it is that makes her smile. "Then come inside, bambina!" beckons the painted lady. When she does, Katie discovers that Mona Lisa is bored. Together they visit several other famous works from the Italian Renaissance, wreak havoc in the museum by letting characters out of their frames, and learn something about each painting. In the museum, Katie and her surroundings are sketched with plenty of white space around them, but each time she enters a painting, the entire two-page spread is completely colored in, adding depth and detail to the original piece of artwork. Raphael's St. George, Botticelli's dancers, Carpaccio's lion, and Leonardo's angel all spring to life. A page of brief information on the featured artists is appended. This fanciful tale is not particularly compelling but it may encourage children to use their imaginations when viewing fine art.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
In Katie Meets the Impressionists , the incorrigible girl climbed in and out of several impressionist paintings. This time, while Grandma rests on a museum bench, Katie convinces a sad Mona Lisa to leave her portrait in order to regain her famous smile. Katie leads the lady to several other famous Italian Renaissance works. When they climb into Raphael's St. George and the Dragon, St. George abandons the princess to the dragon and devotes his attention solely to Mona Lisa. The two intruders next break up the dance in Botticelli's Primavera before being flown over Venice on the wings of Carpaccio's The Lion of St. Mark. Touching down in the museum gallery once again, they encounter the angry, displaced characters from the classic paintings; but an angel steps out of a painting by an unnamed student of Leonardo's to calm the scene and coax everyone back into their respective pictures. After such an exciting diversion, Mona Lisa once again can smile, and children will, too, at this entertaining, light-hearted introduction to serious works of art. Mayhew successfully mimics his subjects' style, creating another art appreciation adventure. Ellen Mandel
