Description
Art is for everyone—even a bored little girl.
Going to the Art Museum with her mom is no fun at all for Anna. Everything is old and boring and there are so many rules: Don’t Touch! Do Not Enter! Quiet! A vigilant guard keeps a close eye on the energetic little girl, but even so, Anna manages to set off an alarm and almost tip over a vase.
A half-open door draws Anna’s attention, but the No Entry sign means yet again that it’s off-limits. This time, however, the guard surprises her by inviting her to go in. Here she finds a “secret workshop” where paintings are being cleaned and repaired. Staring out from one of the canvases is a girl who looks grumpy and bored—just like Anna herself. With the realization that art often imitates life, Anna discovers the sheer joy to be had from the paintings on the wall, especially those that reflect what is happening all around her.
Filled with representations of paintings from many world-class galleries, this charming book is the perfect prelude to a child’s first visit to an art museum.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 4 to 7
- Grade:
- p to 2
Awards
- Joint winner, The Years Best List, Resource Links
- Joint winner, Foreword INDIES Book Awards
- Short-listed, Next Generation Indie Book Award
- Joint winner, Best Bets List, Top Ten, Ontario Library Association
- Commended, Purple Dragonfly Book Award, Honorable Mention: Picture Book
- Short-listed, The da Vinci Eye, Eric Hoffer Book Awards
- Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
- Joint winner, Purple Dragonfly Book Award, Arts/Music
Editorial Reviews
“The perfect prelude to a child’s first visit to an art museum.”
— Learning Magazine, 07/23/19
“The subtle and clever illustrations blend Anna’s life and famous works of art together, mirroring each other—something that children and adults will appreciate as they read.”
— I Heart Literacy, 08/28/18
“Clever and endearing.”
— Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 05/23/18
“Each page is filled with motion and emotion, as well as with Crump’s impressive recreations of numerous great works of art.”
— Atlantic Books Today, Winter/18
“Connection is at the heart of this story and those connections are shown with joy and understanding.”
— Sal’s Fiction Addiction, 11/18/18
“Lil Crump’s illustrations are a delight. Each scene is filled with visual jokes that reward careful attention.”
— The Booklist Reader, 01/23/19
“So charming and so real . . . a worthwhile addition to home, classroom and school libraries.”
— CanLit for Little Canadians, 09/05/18
“This book couldn’t have had a better ending.”
— Long and Short Reviews, 01/10/2020
“Art truly is for everybody in this charming book . . . The attention to detail is sublime as Crump’s gorgeous characters and scenery work to mirror the featured pieces on the wall that span centuries and cross oceans . . . Anna at the Art Museum would be a great book to read before visiting a museum, to prepare children and manage expectations, but truly it is a good book to read any time.”
— CM reviews, *starred review, 12/21/18
“Lively and expressive, the digital pictures complement the empathetic, well-structured story, but it’s the visual interplay between illustrated characters and museum art that makes this such an engaging, enjoyable picture book.”
— Booklist, 09/01/18
