Klimt and His Cat

Debut author Capatti and Italian artist Monaco (A Brave Little Princess) offer a unique portrait of Gustav Klimt, his studio and his work-from the point of view of his pet, whom he calls Katze. On built-up layers of soft pastel, brilliant orange and cool gray-blue, Monaco creates portraits of Klimt and adds other figures-the women who appear in his paintings, their necks alluringly bent to the side, images from his thoughts and dreams, tubes of paint and pictures of his black-and-white cat. Also in the manner of Klimt, she embellishes the spreads with fabric patterns and repeating medallions, then overlays them with fields of gold ink. The narrative lacks the power of Monaco's artwork, but supports the illustrations sturdily nonetheless. The cat, who narrates, describes the fate of work done by Klimt for the University of Vienna, criticized so harshly that the artist chose to buy it back ("Katze, what's important to me is not how many people like my art, but who appreciates it," Klimt says), and injects a note of humor as he complains about his master on vacation ("I wander the streets of Venice to look for other cats, but Gustav is interested only in art"). The depiction of an artist to whom work is more important than family, wealth or recognition, comes through with force-and with great charm. Small reproductions of Klimt's most famous works appear on the last two pages. All ages. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 2-6 -Klimt, founder of the late-19th-century Secessionist Art Movement in Vienna, probably has greater renown in Europe than in the U.S. However, American children will enjoy this aesthetically pleasing fictional biography as told by the artist's cat, Katze. The feline takes readers into Klimt's studio to see the decorative, stylized paintings. Then, through conversations and the cat's observations, readers gain insight into the artist's personality, thoughts, and philosophy on art and life. None of this is as heavy as it might seem, given Klimt's erotic and psychological preoccupations. The cat's tale is much softer, much lighter -a child's interpretation of the paintings. There is no -dumbing down - -just appreciation from a different perspective. The mixed-media illustrations work wonderfully with the story. Done in the decorative, ornamental style of Klimt himself, they shine with gold, rich fabrics, paint, and photographs. The effect is as dazzling as his originals. They invite study and appreciation. Readers will need to look twice to distinguish between the illustrations and the reproductions of Klimt's paintings included at the book's conclusion. This richly illustrated, sophisticated work is a beautiful addition to picture-book collections." -Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH" Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Society of Illustrators, The Original Art Annual Exhibition (2005)
Bank Street College, Best Children's Books of the Year (2006

Kirkus Reviews
"This quirky distillation of Klimt's essence is particularly notable for its luminous, gold-leafed multimedia paintings that effectively evoke the Viennese Secessionist painter's individualistic style. . . . Monaco's illustrations are so unique that libraries with strong artistic picture-book collections won't want to pass this by." Publishers Weekly
"The depiction of an artist to whom work is more important than family, wealth, or recognition, comes through with force ? and with great charm."