When Pigasso Met Mootisse [Hardcover]

Nina Laden (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Verbal and visual puns fill Laden's (The Night I Followed the Dog) sly homage to Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, who are keenly caricatured as a prima-donna pig and a feisty bull. Pigasso is a dark-eyed hog in a red beret; his facial features rearrange according to his mood, and bruisy hues of blue and purple shadow his yellow-pink complexion. His painting of female pigs?a crafty version of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon?causes an art-world sensation. A canvas by Mootisse, a sophisticated orange bull with a neat brown beard and red-framed spectacles, featuring five graceful, nude cows?The Dance with udders?is hailed as a "Moosterpiece." After urban success, Pigasso and Mootisse move into country homes on either side of an ochre-dirt road. Pigasso's landscape features a tart-yellow house, angular shrubbery and a sharp-edged apple tree bearing cut-open fruit. Mootisse's farm offers a curvy tree, a patchwork garden of cutout leaf-shapes, and a construction-paper-smooth lawn that complements the red house. The artists at first share baguettes and bottles of wine, and make gifts of their paintings, but their friendship erodes as they snipe at each other's styles. Laden lightly satirizes the duo as "pig-headed and bull-headed," respectively, then lets them admit grudging admiration. She cites cubist and fauvist philosophies (Pigasso calls his rival a "wild beast"), and she mimics the real painters' techniques, so that Pigasso favors hard black outlines and Mootisse prefers brilliant side-by-side shades. While junior art historians familiar with the artists' work will laugh loudest, an afterword offers novices the background for this well-observed comedy. Ages 4-10.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-In this delightful tale of modern artists, a porky Pigasso and a bullish Mootisse start out as neighbors but end up feuding when they start criticizing one another's work. Now rivals, they transform their farms into bold works of art and then build a fence between the properties. However, the painters find that they miss one another's company and they each paint an apology on the fence-paintings that wow the critics and make the two fast friends. Based loosely on the real-life relationship between Picasso and Matisse, Laden's tale is a wonderful tribute to these exceptional talents and to the concept of accepting the ideas of others. The story is fast paced, packed with humor, and filled with clever wordplay. The bold acrylic paintings perfectly capture the duo's volatile temperaments and different artistic styles; they are fun to look at and reinforce the lighthearted mood of the text. Bound to entice its audience to learn more about these painters, this title is a sure bet for any children's collection. Use it in conjunction with Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Artists (Harcourt, 1995) or appropriate entries in Ernest Raboff's "Art for Children" series (Doubleday).
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Library Binding edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811811212
• ISBN-13: 978-0811811217
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #66,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #90 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Short Story Collections
  #63 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Farm Animals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Moosterpiece", March 16, 2001

By	Roz Levine - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: When Pigasso Met Mootisse (Hardcover)

When Pigasso Met Mootisse is a wonderful parody detailing the rivalry, feuding and eventual friendship of artists Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Nina Laden's creative and witty text, full of wordplay and puns, will have adults and children alike, laughing out loud and also offers the subtle lesson of acceptance and respect for others and their work. But, it's her bold, bright, busy and humorous illustrations that will mesmerize youngsters and older art lovers will enjoy finding the "pig" and "bull" representations of Picasso's and Matisse's best known works. The biographical afterword, discussing their lives, painting and relationship, will enhance the story and give children a better understanding of these two great artists. This is a marvelous, vivid picture book, perfect for kids 4-8; a hilarious story for the ears and a visual feast for the eyes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a GREAT book!, September 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: When Pigasso Met Mootisse (Hardcover)

It is not often that one finds a book that is either visually charming or provides an elegant introduction to art history at an early learners level or teaches an eloquent moral lesson. To find a book that does all three is a gift.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story of friendship, art, and puns, too!, December 29, 2005

By	Wallis Davenport "joyous2" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When Pigasso Met Mootisse (Hardcover)

This terrific book recounts the rivalry and eventual friendship of Picasso and Matisse, er, ah, excuse me...I meant, Pigasso and Mootisse. The protagonists in this story live across the street from each other and first hurl insults like,"You paint like a wild beast", (that's called "fauvism" for all you art lovers or snobs out there!) while Mootisse retorts, "You are pig-headed". Throughout, the paint and puns fly.
Beautiful visuals and a great afterward that tell the "real" story of Picasso and Matisse complete this utterly charming book. A good intro to art world for the little ones, as well as a lesson on the power of friendship and tolerance.