Geraldine Elschner – författare

An elegant board book that features a young girl's search for famous artist Paul Klee's famous cat in a fantastical outdoor landscape.

A cat lives in a house filled with toys, but every day she dreams of being free like the bird she watches through the window. Finally, with the bird's help, she is able to escape and dance on the roofs of the city by moonlight. This lovely story unfolds in a series of playful, brilliantly colourful illustrations based on the artist Paul Klee's work. Influenced by the artist's bright palette and use of shapes and line, the book culminates in a dazzling reproduction of Klee's Cat and Bird. Accompanied by information about the artist and this iconic painting, the book invites appreciation of the unfettered joyfulness that makes Klee one of the most universally loved artists of all time.

When Antoinette, a comely young frog, learns that a famous artist is searching for beautiful flowers to paint, she becomes determined to get into the picture. But once the portrait is painted, it disappears - perhaps forever. This delightfully humorous mystery is accompanied by colourful illustrations that recall Monet's paintings of the pond near his home in Giverny. The final pages of the book feature reproductions of eight of Monet's water lily paintings. As children follow Antoinette's antics on a summer evening in France, they will become entranced by the pond, the painter, the light and beauty of Monet's world.

To the ancient Egyptians, the hippopotamus was one of the most dangerous animals in their world. The huge creatures were a hazard for small fishing boats and other river craft. But in this delightful story, a young boy befriends a little hippo and together they live out their days along the banks of the Nile. After many years, when the boy's life comes to an end, the hippo finds himself in a strange world populated with deserts, cities, forests and finally a museum where he is reunited with his friends. Early Egyptian civilization has long been a source of curiosity and fascination for children. Through this simple, moving, and beautifully illustrated story young readers will discover how and why the hippopotamus was such an important figure in that ancient world.

Degas’s ballerina paintings are well known and admired and his sculptural work Little Dancer Aged Fourteen—the only sculpture he exhibited in his lifetime—is particularly beloved for capturing the essence of a ballerina. This book tells the fictional story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Jeanne auditions at the Opera Garnier and moves with her mother, a laundress, to Montmartre where life becomes consumed by rehearsals and classes. One day she meets Mr. D, an artist who asks Jeanne to be his model. As Mr. D works on his sculpture, Jeanne prepares tirelessly for an important performance. The book culminates with Jeanne triumphing at the Opera—and Mr. D completing his sculpture with her help. Olivier Desvaux’s gorgeous illustrations, which recall Degas paintings, bring readers into Jeanne’s world—the studio where she spends her days, the tiny apartment where she sleeps with her mother, and Mr. D’s atelier, where he preserves her story forever. Readers will learn about the life of a young dancer in 19th-century Paris, and at the end of the book they will learn even more about one Degas’s most intriguing works.

The Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser believed that humanity and nature shared a harmonious partnership, a philosophy that he demonstrated with his architectural creations. Filled with color-saturated illustrations that echo Hundertwasser’s bold style, this story introduces young readers to the idea of environmentally conscious and playful architecture. When construction starts on a new building in Lea’s neighborhood, she fears that her favorite tree will be chopped down. For days she watches anxiously as the tree is covered up and surrounded by bricks. Finally, she learns that the tree has been spared and made the centerpiece of a fantastic new building, where it will live a long and healthy life. Lucie Vandevelde’s joyful drawings convey a kid’s-eye view of city life, complete with people, pets, automobiles, and machinery. As the new building emerges, readers will come to learn about some of Hundertwasser’s celebrated and offbeat principles—such as the rights of tenants to paint the walls outside of their windows, that trees should be given their own rooms, and that “straight lines lead to the downfall of humanity.” A brief biography of Hundertwasser at the end of the book fills readers in on the work of this pioneering artist whose ideas were once radical but are now integrated into many architectural concepts.

One of Paris's iconic symbols comes to life in this picture book that explores the tragic 2019 fire that destroyed parts of Notre Dame Cathedral as well as the heroic efforts to save the building and its valuable history. Gorgeous full-page illustrations take readers to the top of the cathedral, and into the studios of restoration artists, to tell a story of how Paris's famous rooster nearly perished and was brought back to life to keep watch over the city. From his perch atop a weathervane, the copper rooster enjoys one of the best views in Paris-even if the wind does blow him around a bit. But one fateful day a fire breaks out. Sirens sound, firefighters unroll their hoses, and the flames lick at his feathers. The rooster plunges to earth, crying out for his beloved partner Esmerelda. Gravely injured, he is discovered under the rubble by a worker who carefully lifts him out of the wreckage and brings him to a busy workroom. Will he be healed? Will he live to preside again over the city he loves, and in the company of Esmerelda? With sweeping views of Paris, dramatic scenes of the devastating fire, and fascinating insights into the restoration process, this storybook helps kids appreciate the historic and symbolic significance of buildings such as Notre Dame. An illustrated appendix provides background information that readers of every age will find useful.