Almost Famous Daisy

Entering the Famous Painting Contest, young artist Daisy explores the world of classic art for inspiration for what her subjects will be and eventually paints her own family members, in a humorous tribute to five great masters.

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Almost Famous Daisy is almost a good book...but not quite. It's a nice concept: a young painter sees an advertisement for an art contest, travels the world studying with famous painters (how this is accomplished is never explained, and is a bit distracting), and paints her own winning canvas. However, the lack of a coherent story line or a sympathetic, believable character leaves readers unconcerned about whether Daisy wins, loses, or moves to Timbuktu. The illustrations on some pages resemble an ink spill (but not when she visits Jackson Pollack, which is actually the best spread in the book) and the garish color scheme is jarring. The story is regrettably anticlimactic, visually confusing, and flatly told through a series of postcards from Daisy to her parents. It's an unfortunate outcome for the noteworthy concept of introducing children to some of the masters of Western art.?Jennifer Fleming, Boston Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Splashy visuals that play off of famous paintings give this book a strong surface appeal, but undeveloped themes and a host of tangents muddy the text. An art competition to paint "your favorite things" sends Daisy and her dog Duggie off in search of inspiration, and they speed, seemingly arbitrarily, through St. Remy, Rouen, Vitebsk, Tahiti and New York, soaking up atmosphere and rubbing shoulders with Van Gogh, Monet, Chagall, Gauguin and Pollock. Kidd's vivid illustrations ingeniously blend painting and collage to simulate the artists' styles and highlight the modern interlopers' adventures; Daisy's postcards home show the original images. Although subtle visual jokes abound as Daisy and Duggie wend their black-and-white way through the exotic settings, the wit seems aimed principally at adults and the narrative logic is elusive. For recent books that spoof art in a more cohesive and child-friendly fashion, see Thacher Hurd's Art Dog (Children's Forecasts, Dec. 19, 1995) or Mary Jane Auch's Eggs Mark the Spot (Feb. 12). Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Daisy and her dog, Duggie, travel around the world in search of inspiration for her paintings, one of which she plans on entering in a contest--``Paint Your Favorite Things.'' Readers are on the scene with her but also follow her progress through a trail of postcards she sends to her parents. Painters inspire her work: Van Gogh's The Starry Night makes her giddy, Chagall's The Poet Reclining makes her dream, and Gauguin gives her an exotic tan. Daisy's postcards feature reproductions of the masterpieces--a clever and efficient touch. When Daisy finally returns home, she ends up painting Duggie, her parents, and her room. Vivid colors and attractive reproductions keep the book rolling along. The plot is incomplete; readers never do learn if the contest that introduces the whole story is real or imagined, and there's some funny business with the calendar that is never resolved. What matters most, however, is that Daisy paints her favorite things in her own style, and that her parents encourage her. A refreshing introduction for preschoolers that explores how mood, senses, and location are all part of an artist's work. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4^-8. Spurred on by a competition to paint her favorite things ("Win 1st prize--be famous!" ), Daisy sets off on a world tour with her dog, Duggie. The trip takes them to the sites of several famous paintings, including Saint-Remy, France (Van Gogh's Starry Night), Rouen, France (Monet's Rouen Cathedral), Vitebsk, Belarus (Chagall's Poet Reclining), Tahiti (Gauguin's Where Do We Come From? . . .), and Wyoming (Pollock's Blue Poles). Back home, she integrates her experiences abroad with her appreciation of home to create her own masterpiece. Kidd's mixed media and collage artwork pays homage to the masters within the framework of an entertaining story that never seems didactic. For each artist he provides some background and commentary and a reproduction of the painting cited. Postcards to her parents (including stamps illustrating other works by the painters), the recurring image of Duggie's dog food cans (reminiscent of Andy Warhol's Campbell soup can series), and the appended notes about the artists all add up to an intriguing introduction to the arts. Kay Weisman