The Mona Lisa Vanishes

Starred review from July 10, 2023
Via tightly wrought, immersive snapshots of Renaissance Italy and early 20th-century France, Day (Baby Meets World, for adults) traces the gripping story of “how a strange, small portrait became the most famous painting in history.” On August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, an “impossible” act that—thanks to an era-specific uptick in literacy and technology, including newspaper reportage—created a massive media spectacle, first in Paris, and then internationally. Flashing backward to the life of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), the story next traces the painting’s unlikely and humble beginnings in 1503 Florence; to this day, “Why this woman?” remains a great mystery. Moving back and forth in space and time to depict the personalities and historical periods involved, immediate-feeling chapters offer a multidimensional play-by-play of the heist and its broader facets, including conspiracy theories and the dawn of forensic science in the Paris of Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Stylized b&w portraiture by Helquist (Strangeville School Is Totally Normal) portrays the largely white-cued cast, contributing playful period visuals to this captivating work of narrative nonfiction; altogether, it’s a wildly entertaining, thoroughly contextualized look at art, history, and fame. Ages 10–up. Author’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from July 1, 2023
The story of how the Mona Lisa was painted and, centuries later, how it was stolen, recovered, and in the process became the most famous portrait in the world. Day tells his tale with considerable verve, delivering in alternating sections accounts of the life of Leonardo da Vinci ("an extraordinary, ingenious, wondrously weird man," with "a mind on fire") and of the 1911 theft of a then-respected but not particularly popular painting from the musty, dusty Louvre. He traces the way it mushroomed into a huge public sensation--complete with conspiracy theories, ineffectual police work, and suspects ranging from plutocrat J.P. Morgan to young artistic firebrand Pablo Picasso. Helquist's art adds tongue-in-cheek notes with a bountiful array of scenes depicting expressive, lightly caricatured figures, from the thief (who turned out to be not a slick professional but, at least supposedly, an impulsive Italian patriot) to detectives, officials, and suspects, generally sporting early-20th-century dress and comically diverse mustaches. The painting was recovered in 1913, but the sensation over it has yet to die down, which the author pointedly explains as partly the influence of the press in whipping up controversy, partly the enduring power of conspiracy theories ("People will choose the better story every time"), and partly the painting's own compellingly enigmatic features. Readers will love the brouhaha and will be tempted to take closer looks at the art too. A multistranded yarn skillfully laid out in broad, light brush strokes with some cogent themes mixed in. (source list, endnotes) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

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Starred review from July 1, 2023
Grades 4-8 *Starred Review* The book opens in 1503 in Florence, where Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the portrait known as the Mona Lisa. A second story takes place in 1911 in Paris, where a thief hides out in the Louvre overnight, removes the portrait from its glass case, and walks away with it the next morning. Initially, no one realizes that the painting has been stolen, but afterward, the theft becomes front-page news internationally. Suddenly, the painting becomes a cultural icon, familiar mainly through reprinted photographs in newspapers. Alternating between Leonardo's lifetime and the years between the theft and the return of the Mona Lisa, the story lines take unexpected twists and turns, from the personal and societal forces driving Leonardo down unconventional paths to the testimony in a Paris courtroom by a young, clearly terrified artist named Picasso. The narratives in both time periods are enhanced by Day's clear explanations of events and their contexts, his appreciation for irony, and his skillful storytelling, which is continuously compelling and often brightened by understated humor. Best known for illustrating Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events books, Helquist contributes occasional black-and-white illustrations that capture the look of each time period while reflecting the droll tone of the writing. A completely engaging book.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2023
The Mona Lisa wasn't the world's most famous painting when it disappeared from the Louvre in 1911. Day starts his narrative at the point of the theft, then jumps forward and backward, tracing Leonardo da Vinci's career, what (little) is known about the painting's subject, how the Mona Lisa became a pop culture icon, and its whereabouts today. In between the story's many diversions (e.g., early forensic science, the media's role in hyping the theft), readers also follow the path of the painting away from the museum and into the pages of history, which Day delivers with a dose of whimsy as he describes a case that had more than its share of ridiculous moments. The book combines age-appropriate true crime with art history and historiography. The nonlinear structure may take some getting used to, but it serves the book's goal of drawing parallels between elements of the theft and the Mona Lisa's current place in our culture. Helquist's cartoonlike black-and-white illustrations do an excellent job of matching the narrative voice and bringing the book's dramatic moments to life. A lengthy source list is appended. Sarah Rettger

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 29, 2023

Gr 5 Up-Most readers will not know that the Mona Lisa painting was once stolen from its home at the Louvre. This nonfiction middle grade book contextualizes this historic moment with world events. The publicity that surrounded the theft only added to the painting's fame. Readers will learn of the heist, discover new connections to other artists, and find out fascinating details and facts of the long-ago crime. Moving back and forth between the caper and the life of Leonardo da Vinci, the text takes readers around the world figuratively and literally. Day writes in a pleasant conversational style, addressing readers directly. The story moves along at a reasonable pace and includes many historical figures; the abundance of cultural references makes the story challenging, but interesting. VERDICT An intriguing exploration of a significant yet little-known event.-Amy Caldera

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
The Mona Lisa wasn't the world's most famous painting when it disappeared from the Louvre in 1911. Day starts his narrative at the point of the theft, then jumps forward and backward, tracing Leonardo da Vinci's career, what (little) is known about the painting's subject, how the Mona Lisa became a pop culture icon, and its whereabouts today. In between the story's many diversions (e.g., early forensic science, the media's role in hyping the theft), readers also follow the path of the painting away from the museum and into the pages of history, which Day delivers with a dose of whimsy as he describes a case that had more than its share of ridiculous moments. The book combines age-appropriate true crime with art history and historiography. The nonlinear structure may take some getting used to, but it serves the book's goal of drawing parallels between elements of the theft and the Mona Lisa's current place in our culture. Helquist's cartoonlike black-and-white illustrations do an excellent job of matching the narrative voice and bringing the book's dramatic moments to life. A lengthy source list is appended.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)