Illustrated by Lena Anderson
Translated by Joan Sandin
3 stars
A nice way for young readers to learn about Monet and his artwork through a fictionalized account of Linnea who travels to Paris with her neighbor, Mr. Bloom, to visit Monet’s home and garden.
An interesting blend of nonfiction and fictional elements. It covers information about Monet’s inspiration, his family, his art career, and his home and gardens. Some pages are very text heavy but the book is broken into sections for easy reading across various sessions.
Nice artwork. I enjoyed the combination of illustrations and photographs.
I really enjoyed that Linnea met Jean-Marie Toulgouat, Monet’s step-great-grandson. It added an interesting touch to the story.
The backmatter includes information about museums in Paris and other things to do there, a list of books about Monet and other topics covered in the story, a timeline of events in Monet’s life, and a family tree, which was really helpful.
I didn’t realize there were previous books about Linnea and her adventures. I may have enjoyed this more if I’d already been acquainted with Linnea, but overall it was a nice read.