(4) K-3 Illustrated by Vanessa Hié. In an island village where people are "always cheerful," young Tevai encounters magical sisters who give him a special banana leaf that transforms the villagers into people who are true to their emotions. The story is a little too cryptic for kids, but the illustrations faithfully honor Gauguin's style, and a reproduction of the story's source painting and biographical information on Gauguin are enlightening.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Great Artists & Their World series. This series contextualizes the artists’ works by placing them alongside those of their contemporaries and within their historical milieus. Features include "How Were They Made?" which explains media and techniques, and "What Do the Paintings Say?" which discusses symbolism and iconography. Cramped design, including small reproductions and teeny-tiny typeface, compromise the thoughtful texts. There are four other fall 2010 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Artists & Their World titles: Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, and Picasso.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith. This picture-book biography focuses on the turbulent two months van Gogh and Gauguin lived and painted together in Arles, exploring the ways the artists influenced and appreciated each other and noting their differences. Smith's sunny paintings add period domestic detail, and the reproductions of the artists' work augment the text (though captions would have made identification easier). Final biographical pages provide context. Bib.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges