The Magical Garden of Claude Monet [Hardcover]

Laurence Anholt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Julie is a happy little girl who lives in Paris, but she wishes she could walk in a country garden. Julie is pleased when her mother decides to take her to visit the most wonderful garden in the world, owned by a great friend of the family. They arrive at their destination, and for this little girl it is like walking in a dreamy world where twisting plants grow as tall as trees. When Julie's dog runs away, she asks the gardener to help find her pet, and soon she and the gardener are friends. But this amiable, bearded old man is a very unusual gardener, for not only does he cultivate his many plants, he also paints beautiful pictures of them. Julie has made a friend of the great impressionist painter, Claude Monet. Based on a true story about the daughter of another fine artist, Berthe Morisot, this charmingly illustrated picture book includes reproductions by author-illustrator Laurance Anholt of a famous waterlilies painting, which Monet completed in his garden at Giverny, a few miles from Paris.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-An engaging introduction to Monet's later work, featuring his gardens at Giverny. Based on a visit to the artist by a girl who turns out to be the daughter of Impressionist Berthe Morisot and a niece of Edouard Manet, The Magical Garden effortlessly combines artistic fancy with biographical fact. The simple story of a city child's day in the country is brought to life through clear text and vibrant gouache illustrations that blend seamlessly to provide an ideal introduction to Monet's temperament, work habits, and aesthetic. Anholt pulls off a deft illustrative trick, using his own fluid style to capture the flavor of many of Monet's most frequently reproduced works. Several illustrations are successful combinations of photo reproductions of Monet's paintings overlaid with Anholt's drawings of the artist and Julie. Particularly impressive is the foldout spread that depicts Monet, Julie, and her dog gliding across the lake in a small boat. The figures are incorporated into Monet's masterpiece Waterlilies: Morning. Perfect for children not old enough to enjoy the detail and comparatively intricate plot of Christina Bjork's Linnea in Monet's Garden (R & S, 1987), this volume also includes a page of biographical information about Monet.
Sophie R. Brookover, Mount Laurel Library, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 3. From the creator of picture books such as Leonardo and the Flying Boy (2000), this story features Julie and her dog, Louie, who spend an idyllic day with Claude Monet. With Louie providing some comic relief along the way, the artist rows his young friend across the pond, where he picks a water lily for her, then takes her back to his studio, where he shows her a huge, panoramic work in progress: a series of paintings depicting his water garden. In the appended note, Anholt tells readers about Monet's life and explains that the little girl is based on Julie Manet, daughter of Monet's friend artist Berthe Morisot. Sunny colors predominate in the illustrations, fluid drawings brightened with colorful washes that incorporate some of Monet's paintings (identified on the copyright page). Folding out horizontally, the center spread features one of Monet's water lily paintings with a smaller, superimposed picture showing Monet, Julie, and Louie in a rowboat. The combination of simple story and enticing art makes for a charming introduction to Monet. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 1 edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764155741
• ISBN-13: 978-0764155741
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurence Anholt is the author and illustrator of several childrenÂ’ books about famous artists, all available in North America from BarronÂ’s. They include Degas and the Little Dancer, Leonardo and the Flying Boy, The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, and van Gogh and the Sunflowers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking journey for children into Monet's paintings, October 15, 2004

By 

Gwyn Gwyrdd "geek" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magical Garden of Claude Monet (Hardcover)

I have long been a fan of Linnea in Monet's Garden - so I was very excited to find this new series of books by Laurence Anholt. Anholt's approach to introducing children to these artists - he has covered Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and DaVinci - is to use their art to create the backgrounds and settings for his characters. This book in particular is my favorite of the series because it is crowned with a fold out of Monet's vivid Waterlilies with a tiny boat floating across it carrying the story's members - Monet and a little girl who happens upon his garden. Before it is over, the little girl plucks one of the lilies from the famous painting as a memoir. My daughter loves this picture - and it is almost surreal to me to see Monet's art coming to life in such a manner. I can hardly wait until she visits the museum and sees the real painting. Watching her make this connection should be very exciting.

Aside from this stunning mixture of Monet's work and Anholt's own lush artwork - carefully drawn to compliment the featured art - the book gives some great educational information about Monet by weaving it into the story - all this without ever starting to sound like a textbook. The story retains its' focus and its' charm without becoming boring. That is an amazing accomplishment in my opinion.

I hope to purchase the entire set for a lovely and educational Christmas gift. These are sure to become beloved classics. Any children's book that learns to entertain both child and parent equally often does.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Toddlers, August 12, 2005

By 

Patty (Clifton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magical Garden of Claude Monet (Hardcover)

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet is a great way to expose young children to impressionist art. My son loved the story of Julie in Monet's garden. Julie is a young French girl who takes a train with her Mother to visit Monet's garden. As they arrive into the countryside, her dog runs away and is found in Monet's garden. Soon the painter and Julie become friends. The illustrations are bright and colorful. You almost feel as if you are inside one of Monet's paintings. Children will be captivated by the story as well as the beautiful pictures.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical Garden inspired my students, August 12, 2006

By 

S. Babineau "artist and teacher" (Putnam County, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magical Garden of Claude Monet (Hardcover)

Anholt's lovely book about Monet is my favorite of the series about famous artists. He demystifies impressionism and actually inspires children to paint their own "magical gardens"!!