Penny's Reviews and Chat

Gatsby’s Grand Adventures Book 3

Thomas Gainsborough’s Girl with Pigs

by Barbara Cairns

Illustrated by Eugene Ruble

In “Gatsby’s Grand Adventures,” Gatsby the cat is visiting Thomas Gainsborough’s Girl with Pigs. This is Book 3, the latest addition to Barbara Cairns’ picture book Gatsby's adventures in art series.  A pampered cat, Gatsby is privileged to live in Miss. Annabelle’s Art Gallery, where he magically leaps into famous paintings at night to have adventures interacting with the characters in the paintings. The catch 22 is he must jump back out of the paintings before sunrise.

Usually, Gatsby is able to do this but sometimes his adventuring messes up the paintings. Then he has to sneak back in and fix it—make it back to right again before Miss Annabelle sees it or has a gallery tour. In this adventure, Gatsby tries to drink some of the pigs’ milk. But he doesn’t know how ornery pigs can be. Gatsby finds out and it’s a lot of effort for him to get them all back in their correct positions before his messed up painting is discovered.

The illustrator, Eugene Ruble, is challenged in this series to both copy famous paintings and also create a “realistic” adventure for Gatsby in his interactions with each painting’s subjects. You’ll have to get the book and see for yourself if Mr. Ruble has succeeded in animating Gatsby in his latest adventure in Thomas Gainsborough’s Girl with Pigs!

Barbara Cairns always includes biographical information on the famous artist featured in each of her Gatsby books. This book has  a website to view the artist’s other paintings. This book is recommended for budding artists and students ages 6 to 9, and for teachers’ and school libraries. The other two books in this series are:  “Gatsby’s Grand Adventures Book 2, Auguste Renoir’s The Apple Seller” and “Gatsby’s Grand Adventures Book 1, Winslow Homer ‘s Snap the Whip.”

Information on author Barbara Cairns is at www.barbaracairnsbooks.web.com.

Reviewed by

Penelope Anne Cole
Multi-Award Winning Author of Magical Matthew, and Magical Mea 
Mágico Mateo (Spanish), Magical Mea Goes to School, and

Magical Max and Magical Mickey

New:  What’s for Dinner?

For Halloween: Ten Little Tricksters
Web:  http://www.penelopeannecole.com/
FREE Skype Visits

Tags

Gatsby the cat, Barbara Cairns, Miss Annabelle, adventures, art, Thomas Gainsborough, Girl with Pigs, milk, magic, magical antics, playing, paintings, art gallery