With lush paintings and intricately constructed 3-D artwork, bestselling and Caldecott Honor–winning author-illustrator Brian Lies introduces a sleepy kitten whose afternoon nap transforms into an epic journey through art, time, and history. Perfect for fans of They All Saw a Cat, Museum Trip, and Jumanji. Includes a note from the author about how the illustrations were created.
In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it through a framed poster on the wall, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece.
Caldecott Honor–winning andNew York Times bestselling author-illustrator Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book journey that invites young readers through the galleries of an art museum as well as through time, space, and history. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history—an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog—each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?
This visual showstopper by an award-winning and bestselling picture book creator offers readers a page-turning cat and mouse chase, an introduction to famous works of art throughout history, an epic adventure story, and a homecoming. Backmatter includes information about how each of the illustrations in the book was created, notes on the original artworks featured in the book, and an afterword inviting young readers to make, create, and build things.---from the publisher
48 pages 978-0062671288 Ages 5-8
Keywords: cats, adventure, art, art history, museum, world history, time, mouse, Fine Arts Curriculum, home, creativity, trying new things, believing in yourself, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
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In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book while her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten hears a scritching noise and notices a mouse that dives after it through a framed poster on the wall advertising an exhibition of Egyptian Antiquities, the kitten cannot resist the chase and an epic pursuit through time, art, and history begins. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history—an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog—each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?
To be honest, not being a student of art history or really having the faintest idea about paintings beyond being able to recognise the Mona Lisa and knowing the Claude Monet was a Frenchman who liked waterlilies, much of this story went over my head. BUT thankfully. not only does its creator identify the artworks and their stories in the back matter, but he explains his painstaking work physically recreating the originals so he could have authentic illustrations for his story. And even though the reader might now have the same patience and skill, there is a strong message that whatever you like to make, the key to improvement is practice and the achievement is fun and satisfying. "If people before us could do it, why not me? Why not you?".
Others more knowledgeable than I am have reviewed that literary, artistic and technical merits of this book - the word masterpiece has been used frequently - and an internet search readily delivers them, but for me it is an intriguing way to introduce young readers to the different styles and media that artists use, as well as considering how art, like stories and music, have been a constant thread connecting people's lives throughput history. While all the pieces depicted in the story itself are on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art or at the Met Cloisters, it could be an opportunity to investigate the value of galleries, museums and libraries in preserving human history - such as the statue of Matthew Flinders' cat Trim at the NSW State Library - perhaps even visiting a local institution to see how their town's history has been interpreted.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
