(1) K-3 In Gerstein's unexpectedly humorous version of Henri Rousseau's The Sleeping Gypsy, with a context-setting prologue, he eschews his familiar style for Rousseau-like opaque acrylics. One by one, animals inspect a woman sleeping by moonlight until Rousseau appears, explaining that this is a dream, which he intends to paint. Neatly conceived and wittily executed, Gerstein's story exemplifies the visual thinking strategies children often use at museums.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(4) K-3 Translated by Agathe Joly. Illustrated by Vanessa Hié. In this origin story for Matisse's collage The Parakeet and the Mermaid, a mermaid stranded in a tree is saved by a parakeet cum human-bird-hybrid prince. The storytelling is rather sentimental, but Hié's cutouts (reworked with pencil and painting), while less abstract, capably echo Matisse's vibrant palette. A reproduction of the source painting and contextual and biographical information are appended.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Fantastic Frame series. Illustrated by Samantha Kallis. A magical picture frame sucks Tiger and Luna into famous paintings to rescue a trapped boy: they meet the ferocious tiger of Rousseau's Surprised! (Danger) and face a bully in Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Splat). Gimmicky and lightweight, the stories include cartoon-style illustrations that incorporate the paintings; "About the Painting" details appended. Review covers the following Fantastic Frame titles: Danger! Tiger Crossing and Splat! Another Messy Sunday.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Translated by Jan Michael. Van Haeringen makes creative use of bold primary colors and white space to reconstruct the world of Henri Matisse as he endures a mobility-reducing illness late in life and creates collages with cut paper. The text, translated from the Dutch, is less successful, with odd phrasing and a reliance on invented dialogue; a biographical note adds value. Not as strong as Jeanette Winter's Henri's Scissors.

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(3) K-3 Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. Little-known outside his native France, nineteenth-century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre made important discoveries by observing living insects: he learned about metamorphosis and instinctual behaviors hard-wired into wasps and termites, and he proved that insects communicate via pheromones. Ferri's watercolor and pencil illustrations in earthy tones help to draw us into Fabre's fascinating world of curious intimacy with nature. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cristina Amodeo. Friedman's spare, clear-eyed prose pairs with clean cut-paper illustrations to introduce readers to the development of Henri Matisse's late-career practice of cut-outs. Amodeo faithfully reflects the artist's techniques through layering and use of color ("experimenting with different harmonies and contrasts--the way colors played with and against each other"). Eight Matisse reproductions, some on foldouts, are interspersed throughout the book.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. In this exploration of the painter's early encounters with color, Henri's mother brightens his gray surroundings, brings him fruits and flowers to arrange, and swathes a room in red rugs. Most inspiring are the changeable colors of pigeons (given to Henri by his father). Relief prints with digital techniques become bolder and brighter as the book progresses while incorporating Matisse's own imagery. Reading list.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) K-3 Winter focuses on Henri Matisse's later life, during which the painter took up collage and discovered the magic he could make with scissors. Winter's text is straightforward and unflowery, and she includes quotes from the artist regarding this revelation. Winter relies, successfully, on the strength of her own art to capture the essence of Matisse's; cut paper is integrated into the illustrations.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Amanda Hall. Markel's informative text conveys self-taught modern artist Henri Rousseau's groundbreaking flat perspective, inspiration by faraway lands, and determined personality, as well as interesting details such as his place in a circle of Modernist artists and writers. Hall's lush watercolor and acrylic art bears a clear resemblance to Rousseau's. This successful tribute makes Rousseau accessible, and inspirational, to a young audience.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Berry. This picture-book biography opens in a dreary French village where the young Henri Matisse didn't "excel at much of anything--except, perhaps, dreaming." As the story describes his years as an artist, Berry's illustrations directly mimic Matisse's Fauvist use of color and maturing style. Parker's lyrical text and Berry's impressive mixed-media pictures fully encompass Matisse's chronology, aspirations, and talents.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(2) YA Born around the time of the Civil War to German Jewish immigrants, the Cone sisters (never married) inherited money from their father's business. Younger Etta discovers a passion for art; she begins collecting and teaches Claribel what she has learned. The book is illustrated with reproductions and original pictures that are strong enough to work side-by-side with those of Picasso and Matisse. Bib.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(4) 4-6 Eleven-year-old protagonist Matisse (siblings: Man Ray and Frida) suffers dire anxiety when he impulsively switches a real Matisse with his own copy of the painting at an important art exhibition. The painting's subject (Henri Matisse's son) lectures the boy on being true to his own inspiration. The story, though contrived, has energy and heart.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Recovering from an illness, Matisse is cared for by Monique, a young nurse, who helps him resume painting. Later she becomes a nun, and Matisse designs the Chapelle du Rossaire to thank Monique and the nuns for caring for him. The energetic telling brings this fictionalized account of a true story to life. Reproductions of the artist's work happily co-exist within Anholt's own illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Invited to guess what they see when looking at close-up sections of five paper collages by Matisse, viewers are provided with some imaginative possibilities before the revelation of a fuller image with an exclamatory "Oooh!" The design is bold, but a thick typeface that imitates cut-out letters will be hard for some kids to read. Information on Matisse would have enhanced the volume.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Published to coincide with a major exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, this volume focuses primarily on Toulouse-Lautrec's fascination with Paris's nightlife and his friendships and professional relationships with its performers. Biography and art analysis are equally balanced. The book's generous size allows for many detailed reproductions, and its dynamic design, inspired by Toulouse-Lautrec's own posters, enhances the presentation. Bib.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Adventures in Art series. These large-format books take different approaches to engaging young readers with significant paintings. Rousseau asks open-ended questions about a series of jungle-themed art, some reproduced in full double-page bleeds. Cézanne takes a biographical approach, focusing on the artist's working style and his relationship to the French landscape. Both volumes suffer from a lack of resources for further study. Picture index. Review covers these Adventures in Art titles: Henri Rousseau's Jungle Book and Paul Cézanne.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dorothy Donohue. After art school, friends Henri T. LaPooch and Vincent van Dog visit each other in the country and the city. As expected, neither likes the other's environment. The characters are loosely based on Toulouse-Lautrec and van Gogh, both of whose art is reflected in the attractive cut-paper illustrations. The book includes French phrases and an afterword about the artists.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim McNeill. Puffer the puffin pays a visit to Henri Rousseau and learns about his life and art. The dialogue is meant to inspire readers to think critically about art, but Puffer's own extensive interpretations may preclude creative thinking. Illustrations include large-scale reproductions as well as flat drawings representing Paris, Rousseau, and other significant artists of the day.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Smart about Art series. Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Beginning and ending with notes from a fictional teacher, this artist study is presented as a child's school report. Biographical information and descriptions of Matisse's favorite themes and many styles and media combine with well-chosen reproductions, cartoons, photos, and comments from the "student" researcher. The lively and informal tone will appeal to young readers.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(2) K-3 A "celebration" of the post-impressionist painter, especially his later years at Nice on the French Riviera. Echoing Matisse's intense, balanced palette and his freely brushed black lines, Le Tord creates a series of vibrant illustrations that resemble Matisse's own work. The brief text is more whimsical than informative; still, this makes a creative, if elementary, introduction to one of the all-time greats. A partial list of museums showing Matisse's work is included.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2000