Jackie and the Mona Lisa

by Debbie Rovin Murphy (Author) Jen Bricking (Illustrator)

Jackie and the Mona Lisa
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Jackie Kennedy loved the arts. And America loved Jackie Kennedy. The first lady knew she had the country's attention--what would she do with it? Encourage Americans to appreciate art, of course! She turned the White House into a historical site filled with some of America's most treasured artifacts and pieces of art. She brought Shakespearean theater to the White House and ballerinas to the South Lawn. And most epically, she brought the Mona Lisa to the states (much to the chagrin of many Parisians) to encourage Americans to visit museums--and it worked! An inspiring story about one of the nation's most influential first ladies.
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Hardcover
$17.99

Kirkus

 A worthy tribute to the legacy of a storied and inspiring American icon.

ALA/Booklist

Grades 1-3. This “little known story of the sway, style, and persistence of America’s favorite First Lady” certainly delivers. 

Publishers Weekly

This narrative nonfiction tale spotlights Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994), her filling the White House with historically significant furniture to make "a living museum," and efforts to inspire the public with art--particularly when she negotiated a 1963 loan of the Mona Lisa to museums in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Murphy narrates simply, with an attention to detail that will please young fact finders: "The Mona Lisa was placed in a bulletproof and waterproof container that could even float if the ship sank!" Bricking's slender, thin-lined figures of varying ages, abilities, and skin tones, rendered in a cool palette, have a cartoonish bent in this straightforward, art-centered profile of a beloved first lady. Back matter includes more about Onassis and the Mona Lisa. Ages 7-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4--This lively story keeps the focus wholly on Jackie Kennedy, her love of art, and her desire to share it with the public. (Murphy does not name JFK, calling him "the president," and he appears in only a couple illustrations.) It's Jackie's energy, diplomacy, and mastery of French that transforms the White House into a "living museum" and brings the Mona Lisa to the U.S. for Americans to see. Jackie was a true cultural ambassador, and readers will understand the impact of the First Lady's vision. Bricking captures Jackie's 1960s style and vivacious personality, and renders a really decent version of "the world's most famous painting." Back matter includes "More About Jackie" and "More About Mona Lisa" but no bibliography or further reading. VERDICT This book may well inspire museum visits; a delightful addition to public or elementary school shelves.--Jenny Arch

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781534111172
Lexile Measure
770
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date
March 15, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF006040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | History
JNF025210 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/20th Century
JNF007130 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Presidents & First Families (U.S.)
Library of Congress categories
Leonardo
Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy
Exhibitions

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