Reviews

A Colorful Tail: Finding Monet at Giverny by Joan Waites

emmanovella's review against another edition

4.0

Oh my goodness this was too cute. I love foxes and I love painting so this was right up my street. I would have liked a little more of monet explored, however, as it makes no sense to have him be the artist in this story as we learn nothing of him/his work and this book is definitely aimed at kids

100pagesaday's review against another edition

5.0

A fox watches in delight as the seasons turn, noting the wonderful colors that erupt in spring, summer and fall. Fox wishes that he could take the colors with him into winter. Fox tries his hardest to collect the colors in vibrant artwork using what nature has to offer, flower petals, stones and leaves. However, none of his artwork is permanent. Then, fox happens upon Claude Monet who is using something different to capture a scene in nature. Could this be the answer to fox's dilemma?

Sweet, whimsical and full of bold and striking colors, A Colorful Tail captures children's interest with a charismatic fox and a unique problem. I love that the story introduces children to a variety of colors outside of the seven colors of the rainbow within the text as well as the striking and playful illustrations. The story also focuses on problem solving and not giving up after the first attempt. In addition, children are introduced to Claude Monet in a fun way.

shighley's review against another edition

3.0

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. The vibrant illustrations were my favorite part, although I was sure how impressionistic they were. The story could be used with children in connection with seasons, colors, and art. While some have criticized the vocabulary, I liked the fact that a couple of my favorite color words were included, like cerulean and cyan. Children would also have fun looking for the butterfly and Monet on each spread. I wasn't sure where the story was going at first, but I like the idea of portraying art as a way to preserve beautiful scenes and memories.

rhodesee's review against another edition

4.0

A Colorful Tail is a lovely book about a fox who learns to paint by watching Claude Monet. Fox is trying to make the colors of spring last and he is finally able to by preserving them on canvas. This book has beautiful illustrations and is a very sweet and simple story. It also has uses some wonderful non-standard color vocabulary.

thewoollygeek's review against another edition

5.0

A wonderful tale of a fox living in Monet’s garden who wants to keep the colours of the seasons alive. Great for teaching lots of words about colour and introducing art and Monet to children in a simple way and the illustrations are bright and beautiful

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

seyfert's review against another edition

4.0

A cute introductory story of colors and Monet, The illustrations are charming as is the fox. If you've a child interested in art, or just learning more colors, this isn't a bad place to start.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

literarygadd's review against another edition

4.0

Any book that introduces young children to fine art and artists in a way they can relate is commendable. Describing seasons with colors and capturing their beauty with paint is beautifully portrayed in this story. I enjoy how the "tail" was cleverly brought together and the usage of its characters. This deserves a place on every child's and art lover's bookshelf.

kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition

5.0

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

This is a wonderful picture book about a fox who lives in Monet’s garden. The story is about the ability to find a way to capture the color and beauty of nature. The artwork is beautiful. While the story is simplistic, there are some very beautiful details in the pictures.

jessmcall's review against another edition

3.0

This is a great book to show kids the importance of art and how it captures moments in time that we wish to remember and admire once their gone. Monet has always been one of my favorite artists because of his techniques and subject matter --especially his nature scenes. I loved the fantastical element of the fox trying to capture the beauty of the garden so he can enjoy it even in winter when the colors go away. He finally discovers painting as an outlet to capture the beauty to make it last even in winter.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

chickadilly's review against another edition

4.0

This book is absolutely adorable. It's about a fox who wishes he could capture colors. He stumbles onto Claude Monet painting his waterlily pond (the actual title of the piece escapes me right now) and watches with great interest as the man appears to have found a way to capture the colors.

It's sort of half a fairy tale type story and half a tale about Monet and probably a nice introduction for kids to art and art history. The images are very colorful and charming.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen more of Monet's imagery and perhaps a bit more text about the fox's paintings!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!