Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Danneberg dramatizes a day in Claude Monet's life, based on an actual event in 1885. In Etretat, France, children assist Monet in carrying his paintings down to the shore. There, the bearded artist in blue begins to paint furiously. Danneberg's dynamic language, first-person free verse in Monet's voice, mimics the movement in Heimerl's impressionistic artwork: "Quickly I... ruffle my paintbrush against the canvas as jade waters ruffle against the shore's edge." Asides provide brief descriptions of Monet's art and personality: "Monet's frustration sometimes led to temper tantrums." This lovely tribute to the artist takes a surprising turn that emphasizes the challenge of capturing ephemeral moments in nature. Ages 6-9. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-In this captivating story, Claude Monet writes a letter to his fiancee, Alice. He has traveled to Etretat, a seaside resort overlooking the English Channel, where he has an adventure on the rocky shore while painting the imposing stone arch, Manneporte. Hurrying to capture the scene on his canvas before the light changes, he pays little attention to the tide. Suddenly, a giant wave rains water down on him and he is knocked off his feet. The sea swallows him and he tumbles "like a shell against the bottom of the ocean." Finally, he lands back on the beach, where he gasps for breath, but his painting, easel, and stool have been lost. Bowing to the power of nature, he trudges back to the hotel "where dry clothes, a warm fire and a soothing cup of tea await." Undaunted, he resolves to "be back again tomorrow." Danneberg captures this brief moment in the French artist's life. Her careful word choices ("swirls," "shimmering," "ruffle," "dab," "glittering") mirror Monet's artistic style, and the images she paints are as lovely as Heimerl's watercolors. The impressionistic illustrations illuminate the first-person narrative, re-creating Monet's day at the beach in a palette of delicate pastels. The text is supplemented by factual notes on each page, as well as appended notes about Monet's career and painting technique. Pair this title with Christina Bjork's Linnea in Monet's Garden (R & S Bks., 1987).-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA (c) Copyright 2012. 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 Kirkus Book Review
An engaging and well-researched picture book written in the voice of the artist and drawn from the letters of the noted French Impressionist Claude Monet. In the late autumn of 1885, Monet sojourned at the coastal resort of tretat in Normandy. Each morning Monet and village children transported his canvases, easel, paints, brushes and more to the motif he had elected to paint. One day, so absorbed in painting as much as he could within a seven- to 15-minute window--his calculation for the time it took before the light changed--Monet was actually swept away by a high tide, supplies and all. Monet struggled and fought his way to the surface and then ruefully resolved to carefully consult the tides tables from then on. Danneberg, known for picture books and early-grade fiction, does a fine job here, effectively integrating details from Monet's letters and minifacts about Impressionism and the exciting practice of plein-air painting. First-time illustrator Heimerl contributes some sensitively rendered watercolors. Though adept at small still lifes and landscapes, she often struggles with the figure and once awkwardly depicts the daubs of paint on Monet's palette as scoops of brightly hued sorbet-like blobs. Rookie mistakes notwithstanding, this is an engaging collaboration. The backmatter is particularly clear and wonderfully informative--including details on Monet's life, the theories that fueled the Impressionist movement, and the innovations in art materials that facilitated their work. Young art lovers will appreciate this appealing glimpse into the life and work of Monet.(bibliography) (Picture book. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
