Matisse on the Loose

July 1, 2009
Gr 5-7-Named after the famous artist, Matisse Jones, 11, has one problem: My family is like the sun. Its dangerous to look right at them. His father takes pride in his Dead Meat Catering business. His mother is head of security at the museum and wants one of her children to become an artist. Matisses older sister, Frida, has an obsession with purple. And the boy spends his after-school hours copying masterpieces. When his namesakes exhibit opens, Matisse replaces the original "Portrait of Pierre" with his replica during a security breach. Eventually, he confesses to the owner of the painting, Pierre Matisse himself, who tells the youngster that art comes from the "couer" and advises him to trash his copies. The writing is fast paced and Matisses observations provide some laugh-out-loud amusement, but the characters are little more than plot elements. Overall, this novel offers a series of anecdotes about an art-loving boy dodging his mistake in a grown-up setting. The plethora of adult characters and interactions may limit the books appeal to avid art buffs."Richelle Roth, Wilmington Public Library, OH"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
Grades 4-6 For years, 11-year-old Matisse Jones has been painting perfect copies of masterpieces in the local art museum, and he secretly dreams of exhibiting his own compositions in a museum some day. After an exhibit of Henri Matisses art opens, an unexpected opportunity arises, and Matisse cant resist impetuously doing something that he knows is wrong: replacing an original with one of his works. Bragg creates plenty of suspenseful, often comedic scenarios as Matisse, with his friend Tobys help, tries to deal with his guilt and fear of getting caught. This entertaining debut features a likable protagonist whose breezy, humorous first-person narrative explores themes of artistic inspiration and finding a place within ones family.Readers will enjoy thediverse, memorable characters, including Matisses mom, a museum security head; his dad, an enthusiastic businessman in a barbeque company; and his purple-obsessed sister. The appended author note includes a brief biography of Henri Matisse (and his son Pierre), as well as information on real-life art-museum heists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)