Review by Booklist Review
Brash, extravagant, and very much in possession of her own mind, Isabella Stewart Gardner was a woman who lived life her own way at a time (1840--1924) when women were not encouraged to do so. Fleming and Cordell keep her independent spirit front and center as they proceed to describe her passion for collecting art, arranging it just so in her Boston mansion, and opening the doors of her home turned museum to the public. In busily lined, candy-colored illustrations, Cordell recreates the gallery-like rooms of Gardner's house with Vermeer's The Concert and Rembrandt's The Storm recognizably on its most famous wall; but there are also scenes of her travels and spot art showing a great variety of pieces being added to her collection. Then, a blue tone covers the pages as the infamous and still-unsolved art theft occurs decades later, explaining the empty frames that hang in the museum today. Informative back matter provides additional details on Gardner's life, unethical collecting practices of the time, and photos of the stolen Vermeer and Rembrandt.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840--1924) assembled an idiosyncratic collection of artworks over her lifetime. In the palazzo she built to house it, priceless treasures still hang next to souvenirs and personal mementoes--in this picture book biography's refrain, "exactly as Isabella wanted." The story begins with a trip abroad, where an adult Gardner determined to possess the works she loved, to her building of the Boston "museum home," and to the 1990 theft, well after her death, of 13 important works--a crime that remains a mystery today. Cordell's loose, humorous line gives Gardner a flamboyant feel, while images of her home reflect what back matter calls its "glorious jumble." Fleming is candid about Gardner's faults: smuggling art out of its country of origin ("cultural raiding," the afterword notes) and following around visitors to her home saying, "Don't touch!" In a picture book that's as much about a place as a figure, this story of treasure gained and lost offers a fascinating look at one person's whims made reality. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Isabella Stewart Gardner, who lived in Boston in the late 1800s, collected art and objects--lots and lots of art and objects. She was very spirited, loved adventure, and liked to stir things up a bit. On a trip to Europe in 1867, she was captivated by the art she saw and set about acquiring as much as she could, employing agents around the globe to procure the treasures she sought, often using devious or downright dishonest methods for obtaining them. It soon became clear she needed a much larger place to display everything, so she set about designing a four-story palazzo, devoting the first three floors to eclectic displays of art, objects, and everyday items that appealed to her, all of which she personally arranged, then shared with the public 20 days a year for $1 per person. Upon her death, she bequeathed her museum to the people of Boston on the condition that nothing be touched or rearranged. That held true until 1990, when thieves made off with over $500 million in art, none of which has ever been recovered. The text is written in free verse and gives a brief overview of Isabella's life and escapades. While the story itself does not call into question the ethics of her schemes for acquiring art, the more extensive back matter delves into it a bit while also filling in additional details about the palazzo and Isabella. Cordell's characteristic sketch lines, filled with mostly subdued colors, work to bring a historic feel to the story. Source notes, a bibliography, and the web address for the museum are provided. VERDICT This may have limited appeal outside the northeast, specifically the Boston area. It will no doubt be a fitting addition to the museum's gift shop.--Maggie Chase, Boise State Univ., ID
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Review by Horn Book Review
Just across the street from the Horn Book office sits the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, whose story is at least as interesting as its idiosyncratic collection. Cannily, Fleming (Honeybee, rev. 3/20; Cubs in the Tub, rev. 9/20) and Cordell (Hello, Neighbor!, rev. 5/20; Bear Island, rev. 3/21) begin this picture-book biography with a mystery: "On a tree-lined street in Boston, in an old mansion, at the top of the stairs, in a second-floor room, empty frames hang, waiting..." Throughout, author and illustrator find just those details about Gardner ("who wore baseball gear to the symphony"), her unusual museum (where she would follow visitors around, shouting "Don't touch! Don't touch!"), and the famous theft ("Private detectives searched. They are still searching") that will engage readers who might have otherwise found the subject stuffy. The text is clipped and clear; the line and watercolor illustrations have a raffish edge that suits the boho Isabella. Preceding an appended bibliography and source notes, a comprehensive endnote mentions both Gardner's sometimes unscrupulous acquisition methods and the ten-million-dollar reward still on offer for solving the 1990 robbery. Roger Sutton November/December 2021 p.128(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the mixed-up files of Isabella Stewart Gardner. In 1867, Isabella fell in love with art and started collecting paintings, sculpture, furniture, and other objects, sometimes having them smuggled into the United States in the way of many superrich art collectors. She eventually decided to build a home within a museum, and for over 20 years, she opened it annually for 20 days, also displaying her personal paraphernalia. She willed it all to the people of Boston, and after her death, the building became a full-time museum. Everything remained as she'd left it--until a mystifying robbery occurred in 1990. Playful, accessible text and engaging illustrations that feature an all-White cast until they reach the present day tell her story, which will be of particular interest to museum visitors. The entitlement she enjoyed (she began collecting during the U.S. Civil War while on a cruise to recover from her young son's death, and her wealth seemingly enabled her to overcome barriers she may have faced as a woman) is not explicitly mentioned, nor are the many writers and artists--many of them gay--whom she regularly entertained. However, her unconventional nature and love of art are engagingly portrayed, and the unsolved theft of her art reads as a mystery worthy of her scandalous legacy. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An inviting portrait of a privileged and unconventional woman who shared herself and her art collection with the masses. (author's note, bibliography, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
