Gatsby Again

In March I reviewed the first book in the series, Gatsby's Grand Adventures. Now book two in the series is out and it's as good as the first one.

Each of Barbara Cairn's books in this series is about a cat named Gatsby who has the magical ability to jump into a classical painting at night. This time the painting is The Apple Seller by Auguste Renoir.

Gatsby wants to play with the little girls in the picture, but he forgot to take the dog into account. Oh, oh!

The picture is completely changed because of the cat's error. Will he be able to get back and make everything right before anyone sees what has happened?

The story will appeal to kids as young as five years old and the information in the back about Renoir and links to websites about him will be helpful to older kids and even adults wanting to learn more about that famous artist.

The illustrator, Eugene Ruble, does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of the art without imitating it.

This book would be a great addition to school libraries and make a good gift for kids who are interested in art or who like to use their imaginations.