Moi and Marie Antoinette [Hardcover]

Lynn Cullen (Author), Amy L. Young (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Marie Antoinette was one of the most celebrated queens in history…but she was once a little girl, too. As told by her vain but devoted dog, Sebastian, here is the story of the young princess's life--from her childhood in Austria, to the elaborate preparations leading to her marriage to Louis XVI; from her unhappy rise to power in turbulent times, to the birth of her own children. Lynn Cullen's spirited text sheds light on a side of Marie Antoinette few have seen--that of a vulnerable young girl thrust into a role much bigger than she could have imagined. Stunning illustrations by Amy Young capture the grandeur of life in 18th century Versailles and the touching intimacy of a child's lasting love for her pet.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This picture-book account of Marie Antoinette, told from the perspective of her pug dog, Sebastien, highlights Antoinette's life from age 13 through her becoming queen of France and motherhood, with glimpses of eighteenth-century court life along the way. As Sebastien tells it, the queen's life leaves Antoinette unhappy, and with little time for Sebastien. But years later, after earning the affection of Antoinette's six-year-old daughter, Therese, Sebastien reminds Antoinette that happiness can be found through love, family, and, of course, dogs. The engaging, humorously vain pug delivers an animated narrative, which is whimsically illustrated in elegant, swirly, pastel-hued pictures, lavished with historical details. The dense prose and the focus on Antoinette as a teen and adult (Therese doesn't come in until the end of the story) suggest an older audience. Even so, the message is classic, and the royal pooch makes an enticing narrator, especially accessorized with period glamour. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Lynn Cullen is the author of several picture books and novels. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit Lynn at www.lynncullen.com.
 
Amy Young trained as a fine artist at Yale and received an MFA in painting from Indiana University. She then went on to earn a law degree from Harvard and worked as a lawyer for several years. She now devotes herself full time to writing and illustrating, and is the creator of the popular Belinda picture books. Visit Amy at www.amylyoung.com.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582349584
• ISBN-13: 978-1582349589
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful for any age reader., July 3, 2007

By 

L. C. Beattie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moi and Marie Antoinette (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my 33 year-old daughter, who lives in another state with her little Pug, for several reasons. One; she has a Pug, two; she studied French when she was in High School, three; she's been to Paris and has a special thing for the Eiffel Tower, four; she collects special books regardless of age. She loved the book with it's beautiful colored illustrations and read it to her little Pug, Chloe who also loved it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASING BOOK FOR THE MOST PART, April 3, 2009

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Moi and Marie Antoinette (Paperback)

This is a rather odd, but cute little book on the life of Marie Antoinette, in particular her young life, as seen through the eyes of her pet pug, Sebastien, a very spoiled and self centered little dog, as of course was his mistress.

Now we need to pause here and consider a couple of things. First, the author has taken great liberty in her account of history, which from this aspect, the book is quite flawed. Secondly, when reading this to young children, be prepared to tell them the rest of the story, as I guarantee they will ask; I know as I have been there and done that with a couple groups of children. There is always at least one in the group, even at the first and second grade level, that is somewhat aware of Antoinette's ultimate fate

That being said, this is a cute read. The sardonic wit of the dog allows the author to take some pretty nice shots at the French Court of that time and some of the personalities involved. Now I have always felt that Marie was sort of dealt a bad hand right from the start, but history is history and we sort of have to live with that. If you know pugs, you will see that the author also knows them. I can quite well imagine that the ones I have known would have had a very similar out look on life as our little pup does in this work.

The illustrations in this work are good. They are not the style that is a favorite of mine, but the kids seem to like it well enough and that is what really counts in a child's book. The various pictures go from quite detailed to quite general and you do get a good feeling of what is going on through them as they go perfectly with the text. These are actually some very nice and mellow water colors here which are very well executed.

Now I would normally give a works such as these three stars, four at the most, as I truly dislike books, even children's books that take too much liberty with history. The little dog and the authors humor shines through on this one though, so rather than take myself too serious, I will just chalk this up to a nice really, really fictionalized historical story and leave it as that. The kids like it, especially the little girls, and as I said, that is what counts.

And no, the author did not lose her head and carry this story to its well known conclusion.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

4.0 out of 5 stars Curly Tailed Courtier, December 30, 2009

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Moi and Marie Antoinette (Hardcover)

This adorable little children's biography of Marie Antoinette as a young person is distinct in that her story is told from the perspective of her chubby little pug, Sebastien, nicknamed Moi. (An interesting aside - Marie Antoinette really did own an adorable little pug named Mops. She sadly had to leave her dog in Austria as things Austrian were not held in high regard at that time).

Moi is a spoiled, lovable little pug with a sense of entitlement. He is not too different from his imperious, imperial owner. The adorable Chinese pug is able to find a way into the hearts of all who come into his presence.

This is simply a cute little story showcasing an adorable dog with a curly tail. Many historical liberties have been taken, which does weaken the book. Be sure to inform any child you share this story with the real story of Marie Antoinette and Mops. This is an ideal time to discuss and share history.

Readers of all ages will delight in the acerbically funny little pug and the verbal darts and satirical portrayal of the French Court during Marie Antoinette's time. Fortunately this author does know pugs and that is a real asset here.


The illustrations are good and work well with the story. The soft colors and expressions on the pug's face are what really make this even more appealling.

Since so many liberties were taken with actual people and events, I rate this book 4 stars. It is a nice fictionalized account of history and is just a nice story for all ages.