- Hardcover: 26 pages
- Publisher: Chronicle Books (Mar 1 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0811819752
- ISBN-13: 978-0811819756
- Product Dimensions: 24 x 23.9 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
"On a blustery day long ago, a weary cat crossed a bridge over the river Seine in Paris. All afternoon, she had been searching for a warm place." So begins Bijou, Bonbon & Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas, Joan Sweeney's second playful peek at the art world after her critically acclaimed Once upon a Lily Pad: Froggy Love in Monet's Garden. In Bijou, Marmalade, the weary cat in question, decides to stop in a Parisian theater known for its ballet and its resident artist, Edgar Degas.
Et voilà! The next morning Madame Duvay discovers Marmalade and three adorable kittens--Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau. The friendly felines make themselves right at home--to the delight of the dancers and Degas, who quietly sketches them: "Oh, the mischief they got into! They chased after the ballerinas and slept in their toeshoes. They got tangled in Madame Duvay's thread and ran off with her ribbons." On the big opening night there is a bona fide feline fiasco as the kittens make their dancing debut! Furious, the stage manager threatens to throw the kittens out on the street--but of course the next day they are the talk of the town, and they are allowed to stay.
This charming story, illustrated by Leslie Wu with Degas-like pastels, includes a gatefold reproduction of Degas's The Rehearsal on the Stage, and a short biography of the artist. "Wu makes the obvious choice of imitating the impressionists in hazy pastels but takes imaginative leaps with her perspectives (e.g., one playful picture shows the backs of the kittens as they view the performing dancers)--and her kittens are undeniably adorable," says Publishers Weekly. Cat lovers, art lovers, and young ballerinas rejoice! Bijou, Bonbon & Beau has a little something for all of you. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson
From Publishers Weekly
Cat lovers will embrace this pretty tale of a pregnant stray who gives birth to kittens in the theater where impressionist painter Edgar Degas sketches dancers. The feline family is threatened by a huffy stage manager, but Degas stands up for them, even when they ruin his drawings. When the kittens interrupt a performance, however, it seems certain they'll be evictedAbut the audience finds them charming, so they are saved. Sweeney's (Once Upon a Lily Pad) serviceable prose descends periodically into caricature ("Sacre bleu!" cries the stage manager), and the character of Degas never comes into focus. She is similarly fuzzy with details (all of the dancers are called ballerinas, for example), and may thus disappoint ballet students. In her picture book debut, Wu makes the obvious choice of imitating the impressionist in hazy pastels but takes imaginative leaps with her perspectives (e.g., one playful picture shows the backs of the offstage kittens as they view the performing dancers)Aand her kittens are undeniably adorable. A gatefold on the last page reproduces Degas's The Rehearsal on the Stage and invites readers to search for paw prints among the shadows. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
On a blustery day long ago, a weary cat crossed a bridge over the river Seine in Paris. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
On a blustery day long ago, a weary cat crossed a bridge over the river Seine in Paris. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice illustrations, but...,
This review is from: Bijou, Bonbon and Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas (Hardcover)
The pictures are delightful, but the story and prose are weak. There is too much going on -- a mother cat with kittens, the ballet, the mean stage manager, Degas, the ballet dancers and teacher --eek. The writing style is also passive, I assume to contibute to a sense of impressionistic and dreamy haze, but what it seems like is a shmaltzy and often wooden translation into English from some other language. I wouldn't reccommend this book if you or your child are particularly sensitive to well-written prose. (I know I'm opening up my review for criticism with that statement, but so be it! ;) )
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Kitties are angels in fur.",
This review is from: Bijou, Bonbon & Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas (Paperback)
Any girl should love this book with a sweet story by Sweeney and lovely illustrations of kitties and ballerinas plus an introduction to the renown French artist, Edgar Degas (1834-1917) whose studies of ballerinas are known for their "mastery of motion and for reviving the lost art of pastel." Degas is considered one of the great artists of his time and Leslie Wu's illustrations are in keeping with his style but with her own unique vision and bolder use of color. Great job, Leslie! I wish more stories were tributes to great artists like BIJOU, BONBON & BEAU--Sweeney and Wu set a nice example I hope others follow."No one saw a cat slip through the back door." Kitties may cause mischief, yet can win over even the grumpiest of persons, in this case, Mr. Klenk. I don't want to give away the story, so please enjoy reading this amusing book with your little girl, or buy it for your older reader. Great book for girls aged five to twelve. As a dear friend of mine recently shared with me, "Kitties are angels in fur." So true. I certainly love my cat and can't imagine what I'd do without her. I've only had her close to two months and it feels like a lifetime. Soar!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting and Sweet,
By Rosary "Rosary" (FL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bijou, Bonbon and Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas (Hardcover)
The best review I can give this book is that my 3 1/2 y.o. daughter just loves it. It is a sweet story about a mother cat and her kittens who live in a Parisian theatre and are cared for by the members of the ballet company. The story is simple for young children, but the presence of Degas sketching the ballerinas opens the door for many other discussions about art and may even inspire a trip to the museum. Tara, I respectfully disagree with your asessment of the prose. Keep in mind this is a children's book. The tone flows smoothly and is a wonderful soothing story that does not excite my daughter when I'm trying to get her ready for bed.
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