Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies (Smart About Art) (Paperback)

by True Kelley (Author, Illustrator) "Last year I visited my grandma in Boston, and she took me to the art museum..." (more)
Key Phrases: Claude Monet, Art Resource, Auguste Renoir

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-The conceit behind these biographies is that they were written by elementary-grade students as reports on the painters. Each book opens with a letter from their teacher, "Ms. Brandt," outlining some questions the student might want to think about when preparing the assignment: why did you pick this artist; if you could ask him or her three questions what would they be; and did you learn anything that surprised you? Unfortunately, the end results are cluttered pages and possibly confusing content. While each book includes facts about the subject's life (birth date and place, childhood, work, etc.), it also incorporates little bits of information about the child who is writing the report. For example, Kristin, the "author" of Degas, includes her own self-portrait next to the artist's. The material presented on each subject is strictly biographical; there is no discussion of the artists' technique or place in art history. Colorful pages and lettering highlight the many reproductions, photographs, childlike drawings, and snippets of text. The "Getting to Know the World's Great Artists" series (Children's) presents solid factual information along with reproductions. However, for an engaging introduction to an artist by a fictional character, steer readers to Christina Bj?rk's Linnea in Monet's Garden (R & S, 1987) or Neil Waldman's appealing The Starry Night (Boyds Mills, 2001).
Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Reviewed with Marryann Cocca-Leffler's Edgar Degas.

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Like the books in Mike Venezia's Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series, these winning biographies in the Smart about Art series feature lively cartoon drawings as they introduce artists. Written in the voice of a young student, Kristin Cole, and presented in the format of a school report, the books recount events in each artist's life and offer insight into his work, using charming childlike drawings and reproductions of the artist's paintings in scrapbook-style layouts to illustrate both the stories and the artistic explanations. The result is a successful blend of fact and humor that makes sophisticated concepts completely accessible and even entertaining. Impressionism, for example, is explained through juxtaposed photos of light shifting over landscapes and close-ups of brush strokes. Artists' quotes and plenty of sassy asides add to the easy, substantive appeal. of these books, which are sure to spark children's curiosity for individual interest or for their own reports. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044842522X
• ISBN-13: 978-0448425221
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,718 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poppies or Waterlilies?, April 25, 2005

By	Betty Burks "Betty L. Burks" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies (GB) (Smart About Art) (Library Binding)

This is one in a series of books about artists for young children about the lives and paintings of these famous oldsters. Written as a report by a fictitious student gives a different aspect and will appeal to school children perhaps; and yet, it contains a biography of Claude Monet (the good and the bad) which appeals to adults, but especially his marvelous paintings are worth the money.

He was very handsome when he went to Paris at the age of 18, but the other painters kidded him with the nickname "Dandy" because he wore ruffled cuffs even though he was just the son of a poor grocer. As a young child in the early school years, he would draw stetches of his teachers and sell them to his classmates. The sketch he drew when he was sixteen looks like something you might see in 'The New Yorker' and is now a part of the expressionist grouping at the Art Institute of Chicago. Some years ago, my son Geoff took me there but that part was closed off for renovation. I told him it didn't matter as there was so much else to look at; as it turns out, the expressionalists are my favorites. Oh well, it was grand just being there.

'The Poppy Field' is one of his most famous, but the people in Knoxville would much prefer 'Water Lilies' because of the purple. By his 83rd birthday, he had finished twenty-two giant paintings of waterlilies. He had his own water gardens as an older man with a bridge (a photo of him standing by with his long white beard); there in his garden at Giverny the flowers were so colorful and plentiful, it could be Longwood Gardens in New Jersey. He and Renoir painted the same scene of a group of party-goers along a frog pond and the canoes pulled up for their use. Renoir's is a close-up though he has one of his trees with long hanging branches, while Monet's is more exact and clear.

He was happily married twice but the deaths took their toll; Camille had been his model for ten years before their marriage and he painted many strange pictures after her death with her face in them. When Alice died, he was so distraught he was unable to paint for some years as his eyesight diminished. In 1923, he endured eye operations and had special glasses to use for resuming his career.

Steven ends his report with "On December 5, 1926, he died (shortly after his 87th birthday). He had been happy, sad, poor and rich. In his life, Monet painted more than 2,000 paintings, which now sell for millions of dollars. They are worth it."

Some of the phrasing is for kids to understand, but the book is so full of information not included in adult biographies it is well worth the time and money to purchase this little treasure.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And parents learn, too!, January 28, 2007

By	Kim A. Haman "Writer Mom" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies" was a terrific book for my 7-year-old daughter. Since it is "written" from the perspective of a fifth grade student doing a report on the famous artist, the language was clear, concise, and interesting to a child my daughter's age. I learned from it, too! My daughter couldn't wait to break out her paints and try her hand at an "impressionist" painting of her own! For anyone who wants their child to learn about art, this book --and the whole series of "Smart About Art" books--is a great place to start. Your child--and you, too!--will definately enjoy this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great little booklet., November 2, 2008

By	Sandra Kaufman "Art Booklover" (Yonkers, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Intend to use this book as part of a teacher's lesson plan. Will be very helpful.