I’ve written in the past about books that help children consider and discover the great artists of our past and present. Recently I came across the endearing book “Painting Pepette,” by Linda Ravin Lodding, and its manner of introducing artists made me smile.
In this book, beautifully illustrated by Claire Fletcher, young Josette Bobette and her favorite stuffed animal, Pepette the bunny, live in Paris. Josette loves sitting in the great room that happens to be filled with a wall of family portraits. Everyone in her family had a painting, even the family dog, but Pepette’s portrait was missing. So the two set off to Montmarte, the famous artists quarter in Paris, to find someone to truly capture Pepette and the love that Josette has for her.
As soon as they enter the quarter, a man stops them and wants to paint Pepette’s portrait because of her “majestic ears.” He then fills an easel with Pepette’s image, but instead of two ears she has three, instead of one nose, she has two. The painting looked vaguely familiar to a certain famous artist, and I suddenly realized why there were portraits of a few famous artists in the beginning of the book. Each page would focus on a famous artist’s style, this one being Picasso.
Josette and Pepette continue to wander through the artists and get stopped by various artists. In this way, they are introduced to Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, and Henri Matisse. Even though these amazing men had painted Pepette’s portrait, none of them captured her the way Josette had dreamed of. So she realized that she had to do the painting herself and it was perfect.
I loved the illustrations in this book and the whimsical way of showcasing famous artists. I will admit that some felt more true to the artists than others, but it is a great way to peak a child’s interest. Children also love the notion of a scavenger hunt, so they are able to find the artist’s portrait at the beginning of the book. A truly engaged child might also ask to see more work by each individual artist. Regardless, this was a very sweet book that not only showcased great art, but the love of a child and her stuffed animal.