Ella in the Garden of Giverny: A Picture Book about Claude Monet

When a young girl meets the famous Claude Monet in his garden at Giverny, she learns the importance of staying true to your own vision. This intriguing child’s-eye view of Claude Monet and his works starts at the turn of the 20th century, when American artists flocked to Giverny to study the painter’s technique. It tells the story of Lily, the daughter of one such artist, who sneaks into Monet’s garden and develops a friendship with him. As Lily sketches, Monet talks about his life. He explains the idea of Impressionism in a way that will make children not only understand the genre, but also want to imitate it themselves. Monika Vaicenaviciene’s subtly coloured and dreamily delicate illustrations strike the perfect note as they reflect Lily’s interpretation of Monet’s beautiful gardens. Young readers will learn about important moments in Monet’s life, while also appreciating the easy camaraderie between a wise and experienced artist and a young, opinionated yet impressionable painter. The book ends with a brief biography of Monet and information about Giverny and museums that feature Monet’s work. AGES: 4 to 8 AUTHOR: Daniel Fehr is a children’s books author and board game designer based in Winterthur, Switzerland. Monika Vaicenaviciene is an award-winning illustrator and picture book creator. She was named Best Overall New Talent at the 2018 World Illustration Awards. Her most recent book is What Is a River? She lives in Vilnius, Lithuania.