As I mentioned earlier, we are looking at Monet paintings for picture study this term and I’m surprised to find that I have never featured any picture books about him on the blog before. There are a plethora! Today I am reviewing four of them. I will be back with whichever others I can find at the library.

Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork, illustrated by Lena Anderson (R&S Books, 1985)

This long picture book is narrated by a young girl who travels to Paris with her friend Mr. Bloom. With lots of dialogue and an upbeat tone the story covers their visit to Monet’s house and garden with information about Monet’s family and work along the way. The illustrations include photos and reproductions of paintings. The book ends with a list of museums and other places to visit (probably outdated!), a timeline, and a family tree. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.

Katie and the Waterlily Pond by James Mayhew (Hodder & Stoughton, 2010)

If you’ve read any of Mayhew’s Katie series you know that she finds herself inside famous paintings where she gets into trouble and then sorts everything out again. This book is no different. Katie has dramatic adventures in five Monet paintings and in the end she wins an art contest with her version of the waterlily pond. At the back of the book is one page of information about the paintings. The story and illustrations are a lot of fun. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Claude Monet: The Painter Who Stopped Trains by P.I. Maltbie, illustrated by Jos. A. Smith (Abrams, 2010)

I love how different books about Monet focus on different aspects of his life and work. This one looks at his decision to paint a series of paintings at Gare Saint-Lazare in 1877. After he and his fellow artists had been mocked for their first exhibition three years before, Monet thought, “If they don’t think fog at the seashore is a proper subject for my paintings, I’ll give them a modern city scene. A view of Paris today, but filled with steam and smoke! It’ll be a dream world, but a modern dream world.” The book ends with the success of the exhibition and does a good job introducing kids to how influential Monet and the Impressionists were in the history of art. The author’s note gives historical context. There are also reproductions of paintings, a photograph, list of museums, bibliography, index, and artist’s note. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.

Mornings with Monet by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPré (Knopf, 2021)

Like the book above, Mornings with Monet looks at one particular series of paintings. It shows how Monet painted his “Mornings on the Seine” series in the 1890s, after he had become rich and famous. Rising at 3:30 am. he heads out to his studio boat where he works on fourteen paintings, a few minutes on each canvas until the light changes. “Anyone who creates understands – that art is not magic. It is work, and work, and work, and then…it is magic.” The illustrations are really lovely and the author’s note provides more information about Impressionism and Monet’s life; there is also a list of sources. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.