Chasing Degas [Hardcover]

Eva Montanari (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Monsieur Degas likes to paint the students while they practice in ballet class—they’ve inspired many of his beautiful paintings. But one day he mistakenly leaves his bag of paints in the dance studio and instead takes a young ballerina’s bag, which contains her new tutu for the evening’s recital! And so the ballerina begins a great chase to find Degas before her big night.
 
As she searches the streets of Paris, the ballerina encounters many other Impressionist painters, who are in the process of painting some of their great works. Monet, Renoir, Caillebotte, and Cassatt help the ballerina until she is reunited, at last, with Degas.
 
Featuring the original Impressionist paintings that inspired this picture book of historical fiction, along with an author’s note about Impressionism and this vibrant period in Paris, Chasing Degas will delight young lovers of art and ballet.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—Degas has painted the ballet students as they rehearse in the opera house many times, but today he has left with the wrong bag, and a young dancer must return his paints and recover her tutu before it is time for her performance that evening. She searches the streets of Paris for the artist and meets several other Impressionists along the way, and each one leads her closer to Degas. The inclusion of certain facts is awkward. For example, after telling the ballerina to look for Degas at the art shop, Renoir adds, "Did you know that the color black doesn't exist in nature?" Expressive pastel illustrations lend appeal. An author's note and color reproductions of the art that inspired the story will help young readers make connections, but this contrived tale may not hold children's attention.—Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO END

From Booklist

After a rehearsal, a young Parisian ballerina realizes that her satchel, supposedly containing her tutu for that evening’s recital, now holds tubes of paints. She deduces that Monsieur Degas must have mistaken her bag for his, and she rushes off to find him. Along the way, she meets a series of artists, including Monet, Caillebotte, Renoir, and Cassatt, working at their easels. Although the settings suggest certain famous paintings that they are working on when the ballerina meets them, the style of the illustrations does not slavishly imitate that of the originals but takes off in its own fresh direction. The flow of lines and forms in the pictures gives them a fittingly musical sensibility. This picture book has a certain charm that makes it more than an introduction to these well-known artists. A discussion of impressionist painters is appended along with small reproductions of the six well-known paintings referenced in the story. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810938782
• ISBN-13: 978-0810938786
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts > Dance

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful sweeping book that will introduce the young reader to the world of Impressionism!, December 23, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chasing Degas (Hardcover)

The little ballerina and her fellow dancers had just finished up their "last rehearsal before the recital." A little dachshund watched as some of the girls still worked at the bar while others were preparing to leave. They were well rehearsed and the little girl was anxious to wear her new tutu during the recital. She had packed it in her bag, but when she went to try it on the only thing she found were Monsieur Degas' paints. He had come to the opera house to paint them and had mistakenly taken her bag. She dashed into the street, ignoring the rain, in search of Monsieur Degas. She just had to find him before the show went on!

Gustave Caillebotte was painting a street scene, but when she asked after Degas, he quickly referred her to Claude Monet who was up on a hotel balcony. He "painted a dot on his canvas" before answering. Yes, he had seen Monsieur Degas, but he was not anywhere in sight. He suggested she try the Moulin de la Galette. By the time she got there, the sun was shining and she saw him next to another painter. She pirouetted quickly across the floor, but he was gone. Monsieur Renoir directed her to Père Tanguy's shop. No Degas there, nor at Madame Cassatt's. Was she ever going to find Monsieur Degas and her new tutu in time for the recital?

This is a beautiful sweeping book that will introduce the young reader to the world of Impressionism. I loved the swirling little search for Degas through the streets of Paris. The idea and theme for the little ballerina to peer at other Impressionist's works as she searched was ingenious. My favorite was when she met Mary Cassatt's model who threw herself in a chair, a session that culminated in the painting, "Girl in the Blue Chair." There was only one little detail that threw me and that was a typographical error in the sentence, "Excuse me, but have you see Monsieur Degas." It certainly does not take away from the beauty of this book, but some people may object. In the back of the book are reproductions of the original paintings and a brief discussion on Impressionist painters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story idea, nice pictures., April 13, 2010

By 

Maya's mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing Degas (Hardcover)

We received this book as a gift for our 5-year old daughter. I thought it was a really interesting story idea. A little girl "switches" bags at her dance recital with Degas. She ends up with a bag of paints, and he ends up with her tutu. She travels through Paris, meeting other famous painters, trying to find Degas. Cute idea. What adds to the cuteness of the story is that each painter she encounters is painting one of their more famous paintings when the encounter the girl and each painting ties into the story. The illustrations are pretty and whimsical. My daughter, a dancer, asked at the end of the story if it really happened. On the last page of the book, following a brief explanation of each of the paintings, there is a short paragraph stating that although this story did not really happen, it could have. This was cute and a nice answer to my daughter's question! The reason I rated it as just average was that the story was a little "long winded" and although the story is aimed at 4-8 year olds, the content and the amount of French names in the story was a little much for this age group. I like the idea of introducing French painters to little ones, I just didn't think it worked out as good as it could have.

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book, April 23, 2011

By 

Shawn Myers "busy mom" (TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chasing Degas (Hardcover)

great story line incorporating the impressionist artists. Sounds so interesting when read aloud. Both my girls enjoy this book.