In the painting The Dance Class, Degas captured for posterity a yellow-sashed dancer scratching her back. How embarrassing. Eva Montanari makes this dancer the central character of her book Chasing Degas.
After a rehearsal, the young dancer finds that Degas has left his bag of paints in the dance studio. She chases all over Paris after Degas, knowing that she must get back to the Opera House in time for that night's performance.
Along the way our dancer meets other artists: Renoir teaches the dancer about seeing color, Cassatt is busy painting her famous Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, Monet bemoans the changing light.
Several of the Paris scenes are cleverly inspired by famous Impressionist paintings (they are identified in the author's note). Montanari's Impressionist-style illustrations are lovely. I'm not knowledgeable enough to deduce if they are pastels or pencils -- maybe a combination. Fortunately she doesn't just try to copy Degas' style, but lets her own vision shine through.
A charming book to introduce Paris as The City of Artists.
Want More?
Read an interview with the author at Seven Impossible Things (includes images of Montanari's other art, too).
Visit the author's web page.
Big Kid says: This book is for girls, it has ballet in it. [Mom hides her head in shame.]
In P. I. Maltbie's Picasso and Minou
, Pablo Picasso is living in Montmartre with his cat, Minou. Minou is not a fan of Picasso's depressing Blue Period paintings. Neither, it seems, is anyone else, for Picasso is so poor he cannot afford to feed Minou and turns him out into the streets. Minou, however, makes friends with a band of circus performers who give the hungry cat a sausage. The loyal cat gently carries the sausage home to share with his artist friend. Minou hopes that by introducing Picasso to his new friends they might bring a little joy into his life. Lo and behold.... Picasso's begins his Rose Period and his paintings sell like hotcakes.
I really enjoyed this book. There are so many themes in this book that a reader can latch on to: friendship and loyalty, artistic dedication and inspiration, how color represents mood, ways of seeing the world, artistic expression, etc. The illustrations are a treat; Pau Estrada's use of color and attention to detail bring life to the story. There is an author's note at the end which fills us in about the real story of Minou, plus a photo of Picasso with his cat!
Paris is forever linked with The Painterly Life. There are a number of interior scenes of the artist's studio, with bits of the city out the window. One of my favorite "shots" of the city is when Picasso puts Minou out into the street and we get to see the low rise row of simple apartments bordering an urban square. And since this is the Big City: real estate is King.... When Picasso is poor he lives in Montmartre, where the White Dome of Sacré-Coeur figures prominently. However, when his paintings start to sell his new and larger digs sport a view of the Eiffel Tower....
Location, location, location.
Want More?
Maltbie also wrote a picture book about Monet: The Painter Who Stopped the Trains
.
Visit the illustrator's website.
Read an interview with the author at California Readers.
See some of Picasso's Blue Period paintings (yes, they are rather depressing) or his Rose Period paintings.
You can always visit your local museum to see a Picasso in person. It seems to me almost every museum has at least one Picasso.
Big Kid says: Is Picasso at the Metropolitan Museum?
Little Kid says: Cat!
It might be fair to say that most kids, in their free play, have invented stories about robots or monsters that have gotten out of control. Perhaps they have gone on rampages and destroyed Lego towns or block cities. In the thoroughly engaging 
Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World)
, Mac Barnett and Dan Santat illustrate this imaginary world.
The young protagonist has built a robot for the science fair, which is on a rampage, destroying buildings and terrorizing citizens in its wake. Our genius scientist chases it all over the city, but finally decides the only solution is to invent a new, better, bigger, more powerful creature. Our heroine's plan is successful... maybe even too successful.
What I love: the genius protagonist is a girl (and her awesome glasses), the city is a hodgepodge of Western and Japanese elements, the imagery invokes Japanese B horror movies (right down to the vertical white lines of the "film"), the subtle humor, the retro graphic novel quality to the layout and the fun robot blueprint end pages.
After you read this with your kids, you might want to protect those Lego cities, because some serious imaginative play is going to take place.
Want More?
Dan Santat discusses his inspirations for the book jacket on his blog.
Visit Mac Barnett's website.
Read a terrific article, see the artwork and watch the trailer at Seven Impossible Things.
Read a review by Geek Dad.
Big Kid says: Cool!
Little Kid says: Toad!
I tend to prefer books which use the city as a backdrop for the action of the story, rather than books which are about a particular city. Yet, I know there is a desire for parents to find books which will introduce famous cities to their children, perhaps hoping that it will instill an appreciation for and curiousity about other places, or a desire to visit other lands.
Tim Egan's Dodsworth easy reader series does a great job of introducing young readers to famous cities but without taking them on a boring walking tour. The delightfully quirky Dodsworth and his stowaway duck sidekick reminded me of a screwball comedy duo. Each humorous book follows the pair on their misadventures through each city. I liked the details Egan slips in, like how everyone on Fifth Avenue is smartly dressed, or how the duck inadvertently creates an impressionist painting in Paris by dancing on his artwork. Currently available are Dodsworth in New York
, Dodsworth in Paris
, and Dodsworth in London
. Dodsworth in Rome
is up next (April 2011), and after that...? I vote for Dodsworth in Madrid.
This reminds me, I need
Mary Kay Kroeger and Louise Borden's Paperboy
belongs in a subcategory of urban picture books I like to call "books about enterprising, hard-working and independent city kids of previous generations." (It's a long title for a subcategory, I know!) The paperboy on the street corner shouting "Extra! Extra!" is one of those disappeared phenomenons you really wish still existed but the modern technological world makes impossible. Like daily milk deliveries in glass bottles (I wonder if there is an urban picture book about that?). But I find there is something comforting about reading book in which such things still existed. Is that just me or do others feel that way, too?
Anyhow, back to the book. In 1927 Cincinnati, the whole city is gearing up for a big boxing match. The paperboys are all placing bets and Willie's working class neighborhood is backing Jack Dempsey. But when Jack Dempsey loses, Willie is the only paperboy who shows up for work. Even though no one wants to buy a paper with the lousy news spread across its front, Willie's boss rewards him for his dedication and work ethic by giving him the best corner.
Even though I'm glad my sons won't have to sell papers in order to keep the family from going hungry, it's hard not to like a book about a boy who shows such kind-hearted dedication. The camaraderie of the neighborhood boys is pretty infectious, too and I love books which show kids having independent lives on the city streets.
As usual, Ted Lewin's illustrations shine. I think my favorite must be the night scene in which the cars and streetcars have gathered on the eve of the big fight. Or perhaps the one in which four girls (yes, girls!) are excitedly watching the match. It's hard to choose a favorite, actually. The boxers are always in black and white, while "real life" takes place in color as if to emphasis where the real action of the story lies.
You might wonder that a book about paperboys and boxing in Cincinnati could be so entertaining, we certainly found it to be so. Of course paperboys and boxing are just the vehicles through with a story about family, spirit and the rewards of not giving up shine through. An author's note will fill any non-boxing fans (like me) in on the historical match between Dempsey and Gene Tunney.
Want more?
Visit Ted Lewin's website (you'll be seeing more of his books on this blog!).
Big Kid says: Why are there no paperboys anymore?
Mom says:
This week's snow and ice storm may be inconvenient, but it is nothing compared to the thirty-six hours of relentless snow that hit the city in March, 1888! The Blizzard of '88 is generally considered to be the worst storm ever to hit the Northeastern seaboard.
Linda Oatman High's City of Snow: The Great Blizzard of 1888
is a book to read for the illustrations, not for the text. In fact, I ended up simply paraphrasing. The free and often awkward verse goes on and on, and you might not get to the end of the book unless you start narrating the pictures yourself. It's a shame because it is a great subject for a picture book. That said, we thoroughly enjoyed studying and discussing Laura Francesca Filippucci's detailed illustrations of a city under siege. They have an old-fashioned feel to them and rather put me in mind of Currier and Ives. It's easy to use the illustrations as talking points, both as to how such a storm would have affected the lives of city dwellers, but also how life was different in 1888. Anyone for milk delivery by horse-pulled wagon? Not so easy in the middle of a blizzard.
And, like any good picture book based on real events, there are historical notes at the end.
I recommend getting this from the library during the snowy season, you'll like the illustrations, and who knows, maybe you might even like the verse. What do I know?
Want More?
Try these books: Terrible Storm
(picture book about the storm in rural Massachusetts), Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America
(loads of photos),
3 Comments on Blizzard City: City of Snow, last added: 2/2/2011
Mom says:
The extremely prolific author, Cynthia Rylant, has an easy reader series, High Rise Private Eyes
featuring soft-boiled detectives of the furry variety. There are eight books in the series. They are very dialogue heavy and while they are fun easy readers, I wouldn't necessarily recommend them as a read aloud. Reading dialogue fluently is an important skill for every budding reader to practice, but unless the parent enjoys dramatics, it might not make for the most interesting listening experience. (Although it could be argued that listening to dialogue is important, too. So what do I know?)
Nonetheless, my six year old very much enjoys reading this series on his own. The characters Jack (the "snoop"), and Bunny (the "brains") banter and cajole their way through the city while solving minor crimes, like missing sugar cubes and lost whistles. Various urban locales are represented such as: apartments, parks, diners and high-class hotels. I've always liked G. Brian Karas' illustrative style, and I think your kids will, too.
So, if you have an early reader, check out a couple of these books for him to test drive.
Big Kid says: Mom, I need #7 next.
Mom says:
High on my list of great things about the city is the rich diversity. Say what you will about the country, you are unlikely to encounter in a week the variety of cultures that you will see in 5 minutes on the subway. Needless to say, such diversity in close quarters sometimes results in the clash of cultures. However, when people from different backgrounds come together, well.... at the risk of sounding ridiculous..... it's a beautiful thing.
In Bruce Edward Hall's Henry and the Kite Dragon
, the city is once again the backdrop for rival groups. Not the Sharks and Jets, but the the kids from Little Italy and the kids in Chinatown. Henry and his Grandfather Chin make beautiful kites, but when they fly near some pigeons, rocks bring the kites down. When Henry and his friends discover the culprits are boys from Little Italy, their first instinct is to "go down there and fight, them." Grandfather Chin, being the wise man that he is, instead suggests they try a different tactic. When they fly their new, splendid dragon kite in the park where the rivals also congregate everyone discovers the source of the trouble and together they find a solution.
I like that this book shows two disparate groups coming together in cooperation and acceptance without being didactic. I also appreciated the quiet but strong presence of the older generation. William Low's illustrations give wonderful perspectives of the city, making the crowded streets of Chinatown, the sweeping rooftop views and green park spaces dramatic and appealing. The story is based on events in 1920 (there is brief note at the start of the book) and the colors and textures of the paintings easily transport us back in time, while still conveying the timelessness of the city.
This would be a good book to read with Chinese New Year on the horizon (as will my next review... stay tuned).
Big Kid says: I liked that one.
Mom says:
Following the 250 year story of a single elm tree in the center of New York City, The Tree
is a science and history book all rolled into one. The story begins with the bursting of a seedpod, which finds its way, via a chipmunk cheek into the ground, where, in 1756 it begins to sprout. The first several pages focus on the animals, weather and natural environment that provide conditions for the growth of the tree. Later as more and more people enter into the environment, they begin to leave their mark (literally and figuratively) on the tree. The story emphasizes the intermingling of human existence -- death, war, growth, circuses (that's a major part of human life, right?) -- with the evolution of nature. Each double page spread displays the growing time line of the evens which affected the elm tree and their are extensive Historical Notes at the end of the book.
Big Kid says: Is that tree still there?
Mom says:
That quintessential urban bird, the pigeon remains an under appreciated fellow (though perhaps raised to new heights by Mo Willems)
. After reading Don Freeman's Fly High, Fly Low
, you may have a new found respect for the resilience and persistence of the creature.
Two pigeons, separated in the city, are determined to find each other and protect their growing family. Fly High, Fly Low is as much a love story about two pigeons as it is a loving tribute to San Francisco, its people and the letter "B". Freeman's primary-color pencil illustrations of one of my favorite cities and its inhabitants both fair and fowl (I'm sorry, but how could I resist?) earned him a Caldecott Honor Medal. As a bonus, this book contains the best description I have ever read of the intense San Francisco fog. Truthfully, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and how often my son has requested it. It's nice to rediscover a classic.
Big Kid says: Can we drive over the Golden Gate Bridge sometime?
If you have ever ridden the NYC Subway you know that some of the stations have some fantastic artwork. I'm a bit sad that my local station is on the boring side. It would be so great to get on the train everyday if the platform looked like 
,
4 Comments on Feline City: Jenny and the Cat Club, last added: 3/2/2011![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/218089677506799661-17440524181787422
</p>
<div class="post-comments">
2 Comments on <em>Newsworthy City: Paperboy</em>, last added: 2/9/2011</div> <!-- end post-comments -->
<a class = "displaycomment" href="javascript:toggleLayer( "View comments for this post"){kind=small}
Display Comments
Mom says:
to set you on your way. Afterward, you will have to locate your own relic to share the experience with your children of dropping a quarter in the slot. If you are in New York City you can head over to the corner of 100th street and West End Avenue, for there sits the phone booth that almost wasn't.
Mom says:
could not present a more accurate picture of the perils of living in noisy apartment buildings. Winter, and illustrator Barry Blitt, use the opinions of neighbors, movers and landlords as well as physical evidence found at the scenes to document the trials, tribulations and logistics of moving 6 leg-less pianos for a mad genius from basement apartment to attic to parlor apartment to a stylish "loft-like" apartment. I especially love all the little details, like pounding on ceilings, barking dogs and crying babies -- details that are not lost on this urban dweller. This book would be a great accompaniment for an introduction to the composer.
It looks like we will be reading your books for a while :) I just got Crepes book, and it really looks lovely.
I love these artist-inspired picture books you're finding!
Well, my little girl is glad that you and your son took the time to review this book. It looks perfect for her - ballet and art!
What a pretty cover! I think my girls would love this one.