The Garden of Monsieur Monet

Gr 3–6—Walking with Claude Monet (and his white cat) through this illustrated book, readers learn how in 1883 the artist moved his family to Giverny in northern France and designed a garden that would inspire the oeuvre of his later years. Although there are no reproductions of Monet's works, Ascari's illustrations, which employ a bright matte color palette, are charming. Children will get a sense of how the gentleman artist dressed from a spread with paper doll-esque outfits and accessories. The text conveys the importance of what Monet observed in his garden—flowers, the sounds of birds, the movement of light—to his painting technique. Discussion of historical events, such as the opening of the Japanese borders, the building of the Eiffel Tower, and the start of World War I, and quotations taken from Monet's letters about his garden provide context. Impressionism is defined, and relevant artists are mentioned. A short biography of Monet and the subjects of his painting concludes the book. The endpapers discuss the Belle Epoque and include information (with images) of the great technical advances of the time.