Charlotte in Giverny

Charlotte #1

by Joan MacPhail Knight, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

It's 1892 and Charlotte is bound for Monet's famous artist colony in Giverny, France, where painters like her father are flocking to learn the new style of painting called Impressionism. In spite of missing her best friend, Charlotte becomes enchanted with France and records her colorful experiences in her journal. She makes new friends, plants a garden, learns to speak French, and even attends the wedding of Monsieur Monet's daughter!
Illustrated with beautiful museum reproductions and charming watercolor collages, Charlotte in Giverny includes a French glossary as well as biographical sketches of the featured painters. This delightful journal of a young girl's exciting year will capture readers' imaginations and leave a lasting impression.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Historical Fiction, France, Childrens, Fiction, Historical

64 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kristine Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnifique! What a fun and informative adventure into 1892 Giverny, when Impressionism was taking the art world by storm. The mixed-media illustrations, along with museum reproductions of fine art, are a delightful complement to the journal entries of young Charlotte, the narrator. The book really transports the reader into that carefree world of the painting community. The book concludes with credits for all the prints and short biographies of all the artists who make appearances in the story -- including Monsieur Monet, of course. Highly recommended reading as a great way to learn a little art history in an imaginative way.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7
needed: a map showing New York, Atlantic Ocean, Le Havre, Giverny, Paris

nice intro to Impressionism (esp American impressionists) and the French language

The journal entries could have said a little more about daily life.

(Charlotte made her journey to France aboard the La Lorraine; my grandmother came over to New York from Roubaix, France on the same ship, probably under worse conditions.)

Editorial comment: The pictures could have been identified in small type at the bottom of the page. It was awkward to have to keep flipping to the end to learn something about a painting.

2023

I wish I could have read this with my grandmother.

Having recently read 'Under the Wide and Starry Sky' by Horan, I know that RL Stevenson vacationed in a village in France. Could it have been Giverny?

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for my granddaughter, whose name is Charlotte, years ago. I saved it because she was too young at the time to enjoy it. I just read it and thought it was charming, but know that she would not enjoy it. Oh well! It’s a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations so it will find a place on my bookshelf. Maybe she’ll appreciate it when she’s an adult!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written as a journal of a young girl (Charlotte) whose family moves from the United States to Giverny, France to live with the colony of Impressionist artists there. Real artists and events are sprinkled throughout this fictional account that gives a fun portrait of the rural art life. Reproductions of real impressionist paintings, old photographs, lovely little water colours, and found objects make up the illustrations. This is a fun and informative book.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

My almost 7-yo read it and gives it 4 stars. I thought the artwork was beautiful- a great way to interest kids in fine art. The book reads like a journal with letters from friends and souvenirs etc. stashed inside.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous first in a series. Full of fun narrative, historical figures, and realistic details of the time period.

[Kara Kuehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I felt like I learned a lot about the French language and art. It was beautifully written.

[Kerin Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Monet is my very favorite painter, this title did not focus on Monet, but on various painters who came to Giverny to practice their art. This was accomplished by a fictional diary of Charlotte and the entries had original art, several also contained photos of impressionist art who painted at Giverny.
The plus of this title is the brief biographies of various artists who had a painting used in the text plus others who painted at Giverny, France.
Copyrighted in 2000, I recommend this this title for middle schoolers with interest in art through adults wanting to know about some American impressionists as many of those in the brief biography section are American.

[Eddie Copperpot♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Señores de la Real Academia Española, sí, ustedes que escriben diccionarios...
Tomen un boli y papel que tienen que hacer algunos cambios...
¿Listos?
"Perfecto:Que posee todas las cualidades requeridas sin tener ningún defecto./Que no contiene ningún error."
Les exijo que lo cambien por: "Charlotte in Giverny".

Leí este libro cuando iba en segundo de secundaria... Fue la mejor decisión que tome ese año.
La historia es un diario, narrado en primera persona por una morrita gringa, llamada Charlotte, que va a vivir con su familia a Giverny, una comunidad francesa (que está en Francia... LOL) de artistas, porque, pues, su papá es pintor... Ella escribe todo lo que vive en un diario que le regalo su mejor amiga como regalo de despedida.
Las aventuras que vive esta morra son increíbles, el libro contiene imágenes de las obras de Monet (que en el libro, igual vive en Giverny, hecho de la vida real, pero Charlotte no existió... o puede que sí una niña inmigrante americana de aquellas épocas).
Monseur Monet es retratado como alguien serio y poco amigable, pero con la trama del libro, se hace buen amigo de Charlotte y los invita a la boda de su hija ¡y hasta a su jardín para celebrar!
El libro termina en que la amiga de Charlotte igual va a Giverny a vivir, porque, su padre igual es pintor.
Le doy 5 de 5 estrellas porque es un libro bien pinche hermoso (QuQ hagan mas libros así, please.

[Shayla]

This book is a delightful introduction to impressionism. My kids were not as interested in it as I was, though. Maybe when they're older?

[Mili Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. I'm buying this book the first chance I get! It is a wonderful personal journal account by a little girl who is staying with her mother and her painter father in Giverny near Monet and other Impressionists in 1892/1893. I felt as if I was there.

As an artist whose favourite style of art is Impressionism, I have devoured every word. The paintings in the book are marvellous, illustrating Charlotte's day to day life. As I was reading, I felt that they were painted by her father. I love Charlotte's own little sketches, created by Melissa Sweet, too, as well as the photographs and little pictures of labels and things to precious to throw away.

It seems such a happy joyful way to live. Charlotte also includes French words of objects and plants as she learns them, as well as some basic phrases. I honestly feel as if Charlotte was a real girl and that I have gotten to know her well. We would have been great friends. :-)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves art (Impressionism in particular), journals, travel adventures, and times gone by.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming series that little girls (probably 7-8+), art lovers, and francophiles alike would really enjoy reading. The illustrations are charming and so is the journal-style story. I like how the author includes as characters real late-19th-century artists who painted in Giverny, includes some of those artists' Impressionist works, and also includes biographical sketches about the Giverny colony artists in the back of the book. I also really like how the author incorporates French vocabulary. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series (there are four total), and would love to have these for my daughter to read when she's a bit older.

[Karen Dransfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the journal written aspect of this story. It included pictures and items and little doodles and drawings just like someone would do in a journal. Plus including aspects of life in the times, and information about the artists of that time. A great book for a unit study on the lives of artists. A bit long for a shared story to a class, maybe break it into chunks and research the artists mentioned in each part.

[Wizengamot]

Monet Monet Monet

[Elfiegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book: And amazing pictures!You'll be sad when you finish it...but read it anyway!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book in the style of a journal. Great tool for learning about France and impressionism.

[Gennielc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wondeful book of historical fiction and art. Truly delightful!