Too long for me, and the child's voice too breathless, enchanted w/ everything, it seems.  But I do like seeing all sorts of paintings and images that relate to history, presented in mutual context.   (Same comment for every book in the set.) ( )

Charlotte in Giverny is one of a series of scrapbook/diary-style books where a girl named Charlotte explores museums or art or something... This one is about how she lives in Giverny for a year with some of the Impressionists, such as Monet and Theodore Robinson.

But it's not just about the Impressionists and art - it's also about growing a garden and making friends and learning French. It's a very simple, sweet book without much conflict or anything. It includes reproductions of several Impressionist paintings, as well as ephemera like old photographs or embroidery swatches... and lots and lots of watercolor sketches.

To be honest, it's the watercolor sketches that appeal to me most. They're whimsical and so appropriate for the feel of the story - I especially like that the pages themselves have the look of a sepia-wash, instead of pure white.

This is a lovely book for children (and grown-ups) to learn about how the Impressionists worked and to be introduced to some of their artwork - as well as to have actual people with human qualities associated with the famous names and art. ( )