Who Stole Mona Lisa - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1408811588 ISBN 13: 9781408811580

Publisher: GARDNERS VI BOOKS AMS006, 2011

Synopsis

She has a famous smile, and millions come to see her every day. Who is she? Why, the Mona Lisa, of course. But did you know that she was once kidnapped? Narrated by the lady of the enigmatic smile herself, this is a stylishly whimsical biography of the glorious, wonderful, sometimes dangerous life of the best-recognised painting of all time.

About this title

About the Author

Ruthie Knapp is the author of The Wall Museum Guide for Kids series. She lives in the USA. Jill McElmurry studied art for two years at SUNY, Purchase and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Both her parents were illustrators, and even her grandparents were artistic professionals (her grandfather painted the backgrounds for the 1939 classic King Kong). When she's not illustrating books, Jill enjoys working with her husband and dog on their farm in New Mexico.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3–Judging by the interest from children's authors, the theft of the Renaissance masterpiece is as intriguing as the woman's elusive smile. Patrick Lewis's The Stolen Smile (Creative, 2004) is told from the thief's viewpoint, and the art has a Cubist flavor. Meghan McCarthy's Steal Back the Mona Lisa (Harcourt, 2006) is a cartoon version with a child detective. Knapp, like Rick Jacobson in The Mona Lisa Caper (Tundra, 2005), presents the mysterious woman's perspective. In contrast to Jacobson's somewhat lengthy text, Knapp employs the cadences of a storyteller. Short sentences gain momentum from internal rhymes, repeated opening phrases, and humorous details. Beginning with da Vinci's approach to the portrait sitter's plight, a museum guide quips: “If she scratched, he asked if she had ants in her pants! When Mona was moody, he hired musicians and clowns to amuse her.” McElmurry's gouache scenes are lively and varied. The framing story features contemporary museum-goers listening intently to the commentary; set against a white background, every head tilts horizontally toward the painting. The main narrative involves the history of the piece, from creation through its theft and restoration. The cooler introductory palette becomes warmer, harmonizing with the predominance of terra cotta against parchment backgrounds; stylized costumes provide pattern through their vertical folds. Roundels and lunettes frame and reveal interior actions against backdrops of buildings and maps. The titular question is answered in more detail in an author's note, but the fun is in imagining, with the author, what Mona Lisa can see, smell, feel, and hear throughout five centuries of observation.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: GARDNERS VI BOOKS AMS006
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1408811588
• ISBN 13: 9781408811580
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40