Charlotte in Paris [Hardcover]

Joan MacPhail Knight (Author), Melissa Sweet (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Charlotte

It's 1892. Charlotte and her family have lived abroad in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France, for a year, when an exciting invitation arrives. The celebrated impressionist Mary Cassatt is having an exhibition in Paris. While in Paris, Charlotte dines at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, watches a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens and celebrates her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. Illustrated with stunning museum reproductions of works by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir and Rodin as well as lovely watercolor collages, this sequel to Charlotte in Giverny also includes biographical sketches of the featured painters. Charlotte's charming scrapbook will leave fans of the first book, art lovers, Francophiles and readers of all ages shouting, "Vive Charlotte!"

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-The fictional young American diarist of Charlotte in Giverny (Chronicle, 2000) spends part of 1893 with her artist parents in Paris, visiting the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Tuileries gardens, among other sights. Her journal chronicles a friendship with Julie Manet and recalls neighborhood gossips who give personal details about such artists as Cassatt, Degas, Renoir, and Rodin, 14 of whom are profiled at the book's end. The narrative is breathless and chock-full of incidental characters, including every dog Charlotte meets. Sweet's delicate watercolors of details like "les parapluies" and "la citronnade" represent the protagonist's paintings and fully balance the fine-art reproductions that appear throughout. Readers are also treated to the girl's journal collectibles, such as a peacock feather, a recipe for cherry "Clafoutis," and postcards of the fair city. This enchanting episode in Charlotte's life introduces Paris, gardening, and an exciting period in the art world.
Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Readers first met this delightful heroine in Charlotte in Giverny (2000), when her father moved there to study painting en plein air with the impressionists. Now Charlotte has an opportunity to live in Paris for six months while Papa studies at the Academie Julian with his friend Maurice Prendergast. Charlotte loves the lights of Paris, the shops and markets and fashions. She sees Mary Cassatt's exhibition, goes to the opera and out to eat, and writes of all her adventures in her journal. Charlotte's Giverny neighbor Monet has a role to play, even in Paris. As with the earlier book, reproductions of paintings, small watercolors, collages of objects Charlotte has saved, and a certain amount of French vocabulary adorn the utterly engaging text. Biographies of the painters, painting credits, and an author's note round out this charming offering. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 52 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811837661
• ISBN-13: 978-0811837668
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Europe
  • #36 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Europe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VIVE CHARLOTTE!, October 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Charlotte in Paris (Hardcover)

I've fallen in love with Charlotte all over again! Giverny, and now Paris, in the year 1893, come alive through the American Charlotte's amusing journal-a charming collection of observations, illustrations, french words and collages. As she learns about the painters around her-we learn. One can almost hear the sound of sleighs gliding through the streets of Paris on a winters night, and taste the "croquembouche"-the tower of cream puffs Charlotte alluringly descibes on Christmas Eve! Once again, Joan Knight allows the paintings of impressionists (such as Cassat, Monet, MacMonnies and more-) to help tell Charlottes story-to great success. As with all of Mrs. Knights selections, Monet's "The Magpie" is used to great effect-as Charlotte and friend Lizzy, upon their way home from making snow sculptures, stumble upon him painting a winter scene. There is no doubt that the Mrs. Knight, and the illustrator, Melissa Sweet-succeed in making Charlotte's voice very real-she is a most endearing character-one we all would love to have as friend! One can only hope Charlotte's adventures go on from Paris!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exquisite visuals and text, October 16, 2003

By 

Sophie Tiedemann (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlotte in Paris (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I was a huge fan of the first Charlotte in Giverny! Being a lover of all things French, I am equally captivated by this second book in this fabulous series. The text transports the reader to a magical time in our artistic history and the "journal" style of the text is witty and wonderful to read. Each page is truley a work of art--a magical collage that makes me want to create my own scrap book. You truley get lost in Charlotte's world. I read it to my daughter every night. Bravo!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful of the Cherry Clafoutis!, July 12, 2006

By 

Lynda (Coupeville, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charlotte in Paris (Hardcover)

My daughter and I made the Cherry Clafoutis recipe on pg. 17

I thought it was a little strange that there was no flour in the recipe...it baked into a custard and didn't turn "puffy and golden" as described. I then researched Clafoutis recipes and they all had flour in them...I'm not quite sure how much to add. Maybe 2/3 cup?

Could the author let us know?

Thanks for a great book and bon appetit!

Lynda & Reilly