Review by Booklist Review
Little Louie the pig is passionate about drawing. He sketches late into the night and all through his classes until he is kicked out of several schools for not paying attention. Giving up on formal education, Louie's parents ship him off to work in their relatives' hotel, where his drawings attract the attention of a famous art dealer. Louie's career as an artist is born, and his greatest success comes from creating children's books that many kids will recognize as the beloved Madeline stories. In an author's note, Hillenbrand explains that he based his story loosely on the life of Ludwig Bemelmans. Unfortunately, the text lacks a consistent arc. The insertions of details from Bemelmans' life feel contrived rather than smoothly integrated; a straight biographical approach might have created a more cohesive narrative. Still, Hillenbrand's digital collage artwork, in Popsicle-bright shades, is a textured, well-executed delight. A sure draw for adult enthusiasts of children's literature, this title may find an audience among young kids who, like Louie, live to sketch.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Using the bare-bones outline of Ludwig Bemelmans's childhood, Hillenbrand brings to life the experience of countless children whose creativity sets them apart in structured environments, especially school. Louie, an artistic pig, thrives at home, where his mother tells him stories of her mischievous childhood in "a schoolhouse in Paris that was covered with vines." But when Louie goes to school, he quickly learns that it's not acceptable to draw and paint all the time, even though it makes him happy. Eventually, he is sent to live with his uncle and aunt in their hotel, where he experiences the hard chores of a hotel worker while finding opportunities to create art. But when he sketches a deliciously uppity couple on a set of menus, trouble follows fast and he prepares for another exile. Mais non! His aunt and uncle are delighted by the pictures, as is their friend Vincent, an art dealer. And so begins Louie's happy and productive career as an artist, and-following a hospital stay where he overhears a small girl tell of having her appendix removed-he writes the classic Madeline. Since Bemelmans is portrayed as a pig, the biographical nature of the story is not transparent, though the references to scenes from Madeline serve as reminders. But Hillenbrand's gloriously colored, superbly executed illustrations-collages, fingerpaintings, gouache, inks, pencils-magnetically draw readers from page to page.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this ambling story based loosely on the life of Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans, Louie is a young pig with a passion for drawing. He has a terrible time at school, but a few supportive adults help him to eventually become a successful picture book artist. Warm illustrations depict Louie as a hard-working, personable pig in blue overalls. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The artistic journey of a porcine Parisian painter. From an early age, Louie has loved to draw and to listen to the fanciful stories of his mother's piglethood, when she went to school in an old schoolhouse "that was covered in vines." At school he gets in trouble for drawing while other students dutifully work on their lessons. Desperate, Mother sends Louie to his uncle and aunt, who own a hotel. Despite some missteps, he continues to develop his artwork, and his aunt and uncle introduce him to their friend Vincent, an art dealer. Louie's career begins in earnest but really takes off when, while recuperating from a bicycle accident, he meets his muse, a little girl recovering from an appendectomy proudly showing off her scar in the next room. Hillenbrand's not-so-surprise twist: Louie's human counterpart is Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of Madeline; an interesting biographical note is provided. Hillenbrand's lovely illustrations, intricately employing multiple media, are full of whimsy. His prose, however, though clearly a heartfelt homage, strains to wrestle Bemelmans's biography into a playfully childlike story with only limited success. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
