Fancy That [Library Binding]

Esther Hershenhorn (Author), Megan Lloyd (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In 1841 in Pennsylvania, Pippin Biddle, determined to get his three orphaned sisters out of the poorhouse, tries to earn a living as an itinerant painter.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-In 1841, orphaned Pip tries to earn a living as a limner, or itinerant painter, in order to keep his three sisters from the poorhouse. As he and his dog wander through the Pennsylvania countryside, the boy offers to paint portraits of family members, pets, and shopkeepers. As the year goes by, he continues to send messages to his sisters, promising that they will have their own home by Christmas. However, the folksy realism of his portraits captures every fault and blemish of his subjects and doesn't bring in much business and he returns home without money. When he is finally reunited with his sisters, he is astonished to find that they have spent the time making crafts and wreaths and opened a shop that will keep the family self-sufficient and together. The little-known craft of the limner is an intriguing bit of history. Hershenhorn tells an interesting tale but the narrative is somewhat stilted and episodic. Lloyd's illustrations take two forms; Pip's story is told with simple lines and colors in stylized sketches nicely balanced with the text while the passing seasons are portrayed in beautifully detailed egg tempera landscapes glowing with color and charm. An artist's note explains the complicated process of how they were done. While this is not a first purchase, it would be fine supplemental material for history units as well as art classes. Fascinating but limited.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. In the mid-nineteenth century, before photography, Americans commissioned portrait painters called "limners" to create lasting images of loved ones. Hershenhorn's latest is an illustrated tribute to those anonymous, wandering artists. When his limner father dies, young Pip Biddle leaves his three sisters at home and hits the road, hoping to try his hand at portrait painting. He soon discovers that no one wants a true likeness, one that reveals the subject's hooked nose or round belly. Defeated, Pip returns home, only to discover that his three sisters have built a successful business of their own. The ending is too abrupt, but Hershenhorn tells a spirited story about an unusual subject in appealing, colloquial language. Lloyd's lovely illustrations extend the sense of time and place and add humor in the details. Delicate egg-tempera pictures, representing Pip's work, blend with lively color illustrations depicting Pip and his subjects, set against landscapes that catch the feeling of nineteenth-century American painting. Notes provide more background on limners and their art. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1 edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823416054
• ISBN-13: 978-0823416059
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,003,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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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 A Must Have, November 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fancy That (Library Binding)

Fancy That is a charming picture book set in Pennsylvania in 1841 that tells the humorous but poignant tale of a young limner (an itinerant painter) who traveled from place to place painting portraits, just as his father did before him, to support his family. Unfortunately young Pip is far too honest in his portrayal of his subjects and bulbous noses and pear shaped figures did not endear him to his clients, nor did he collect his fees. The hope of a home for his three sisters and himself by Christmas, blew up the chimney with the smoke.The ingenious way the problem is solved makes for a heart-felt ending that leaves the reader warm and satisfied. Lloyd's egg tempera paintings enhance and enliven this tale of family values.
Reviewed by a school librarian in Pennsylvania.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!, October 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fancy That (Library Binding)

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a painter who travels 'cross country painting portraits. He is a young man trying to make money to support his three younger sisters, currently in an orphanage.
There is a humorous aspect when Pip paints people as they are, not as they wish to be. Folks don't appreciate seeing their big nose or round bellies in their portraits.
As he travels with his dog Bisuit, he sends back paintings of the pet to his sisters, promising he will return at Christmas.

When Pip returns penniless, a surprise awaits him!

The author and illustrator notes at the end compliment the story. This is a great read for schools, libraries, and for the home.