Kate would like to get Grandma some flowers for her birthday - but where from? She finds inspiration in the local gallery...

Review: The beautifully simple premise of the "Katie" series is that children can find a way in to famous paintings - as Katie literally steps through the frames into the pictures.

In "Katie Meets the Impressionists" our heroine embarks on a quest for the perfect bunch of flowers for her grandmother - weaving, as ever, her benignly chaotic way through five well-known Impressionist paintings. She shares a picnic (and a crash course in painting) with Monet's family, is chased by bees, and even makes her debut at the Paris Ballet.

Mayhew's illustrations are nicely done - balancing fine, clear reproductions of the actual works against a softer focus when the characters come to life and interact with Katie. The works featured are all extremely famous and recognisable. The text is plot-driven, with little flashes of character behind the figures in the paintings - and all the more charming for it.

These books are good reading for those just finding their feet with sentences, and would be enjoyed by younger children reading with help. Both boys and girls will relate to the scrapes in to which Katie gets herself. However, one of the great subtle strengths of this series is that it acts as a passport to our cultural heritage - a context children might remember fondly if and when they actually encounter the works themselves - and, as such, serves a worthy higher purpose (besides being immensely entertaining.)

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2008-06-10