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sducharme's review against another edition
4.0
Clousseau is a Parisian painter whose pictures come alive. Everyone wants one of his works, but some of them cause problems (the portrait of a boa constrictor, for example!). The story is based on a cool concept and the ending is a fantastic surprise. It's one of those endings that makes you want to flip back to page one and start again. Black line and watercolor illustrations. Grades 2 and up.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
"A wealthy baroness owned a Clousseau painting called The Sleeping Boa Constrictor. One night, it awoke."
What if you could paint something so realistic, it came alive? Enter Felix Clousseau, whose paintings bring strange new worlds and animals into France. What had once given him renown, had given chaos to the Hexagon. In return, his fame turned to infamy until he received a stroke of luck. With beautiful artwork that plays with what is real, what isn't, and what's in between, Agee's picture book offers a blurring of lines that will surely make you wonder about your own part in this world.
What if you could paint something so realistic, it came alive? Enter Felix Clousseau, whose paintings bring strange new worlds and animals into France. What had once given him renown, had given chaos to the Hexagon. In return, his fame turned to infamy until he received a stroke of luck. With beautiful artwork that plays with what is real, what isn't, and what's in between, Agee's picture book offers a blurring of lines that will surely make you wonder about your own part in this world.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea that Agee was as established as he was until I read a story about his first(?) picturebook being at the printers and, whilst concerned that it might not be good enough, happens to bump into Maurice Sendak who wholly approved of his book. Great story and Agee is a gem of a wonder - his sparse narrative leaves much space for interpretation and plenty of questions. The kind of picturebooks that invite rich discussions with a strong sense of humour that appeals to child and adult alike.
Set within mid-twentieth century Paris, the country seeks the work of the finest painter. Great artists turn up with their masterpieces to see who has produced the greatest art. Whilst these huge creative figures dominate the frame, Felix Clousseau, a bent, bearded man a third of their size, turns up with a painting of a duck (that happens to also be tiny in comparison). Ridiculed at the start at at first, Clousseau's genius reveals itself when the painting is given time and space to breathe...what happens next turns the world of art upon its head in a hilarious way.
I love the powerful, bold depth of Agee's paintwork and the tongue-in-cheek humour which is prevalent throughout all his work. Originally published in 1988 by Faber and Faber, his work is now in the safe hands of UK's Scallywag Press and I very much look forward to seeing more.
Set within mid-twentieth century Paris, the country seeks the work of the finest painter. Great artists turn up with their masterpieces to see who has produced the greatest art. Whilst these huge creative figures dominate the frame, Felix Clousseau, a bent, bearded man a third of their size, turns up with a painting of a duck (that happens to also be tiny in comparison). Ridiculed at the start at at first, Clousseau's genius reveals itself when the painting is given time and space to breathe...what happens next turns the world of art upon its head in a hilarious way.
I love the powerful, bold depth of Agee's paintwork and the tongue-in-cheek humour which is prevalent throughout all his work. Originally published in 1988 by Faber and Faber, his work is now in the safe hands of UK's Scallywag Press and I very much look forward to seeing more.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
4.0
Love it! The thickly-lined illustrations are outstanding and the story gave me a happy Chris Van Allsburg vibe. Recommending it to everyone!
ccaterer's review against another edition
5.0
Anther amazing book by Jon Agee--simple, yet profound. Great fun.
creatiffcurls's review against another edition
5.0
If you needed to write an amazing story in less than 40 sentences (and 29 illustrated pages), this book certainly does the job. I'm so grateful that my fantasy literature professor introduced this book to me. It's the most adult-like "children's" book yet. Or is it the other way around? It has fantasy, mystery, thriller, murder, wonder and it is able to capture all these emotions in such a short time! Incredible short story.
thecommonswings's review against another edition
5.0
Really beautifully done. Very funny and with incredible art. I’ve just watched Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of MR James’ The Mezzotint and honestly wasn’t expecting this to be in a quiet way thematically linked!