The National Menagerie of Art by Thais Vanderheyden is a wonderfully imaginative picture book that reimagines many of the world’s best-known art masterpieces in a way that will delight both the young audience it is intended for and many adults who enjoy fine art and cheerful good humor.
Covering every major historical art era, from Michelangelo and Velasquez to Kahlo and Rothko, the author/illustrator of the book has created animal versions of iconic artworks such as Leonardo’s Mona Lisa (as a pig), Hokusai’s Great Wave (with a surfing bear), Munch’s The Scream (which is far less scary with a panda as the main figure), and many more.
It’s a fun way for children to explore famous paintings and remember them forever. The actual paintings are reproduced in the back of the book with brief, easy-to-understand descriptions.
Review by Kay R. Sluterbeck