Linnea in Monet's Garden
This book is about a young girl named Linnea who goes and visits the garden of famous painter, Claude Monet. She visits famous locations such as the Japanese bridge over the lily pond that Monet painted, as well as the gardens that contained the pathways and beautiful flowers that made up many of Monet’s most famous works of art. She learns about Monet’s life, what the painters were like during the impressionist time period, as well as the story behind many of his paintings.
I think that this book is very well written for children and should be used in many classrooms, especially those teaching an appreciation for art or history. Linnea is a very relatable character especially for young children. She is always curious and looking for further information or explanations for her questions. This would help teach children how to be excited about learning and how it is always good to ask questions. Also, the setting greatly enhances the story because it takes place in the different locations in France that reflect the life of Monet. Many of the different landmarks that are discussed throughout the book are the subjects of Monet’s most famous paintings. Lastly, the images that the author uses adds depth to the story and enhances the overall subject of the book. Since Linnea is a made up character, many of the images are cartoons, however, some of the images are actual pictures of people, places, and objects, and other images are made up of pieces of Monet’s paintings. This draws the reader’s interest and provides information that cannot be read from the text. For example, when describing the painting style of Monet, the book includes an actual image of one of the painting that Monet created in order to show the different brush strokes. Overall, I think this book is well written and would be engaging for a classroom of 3rd or 4th graders. It is somewhat short, yet it provides meaningful information, good images, and a compelling story. |