Overview
Bridget loves to draw, and she likes to wear a beret for inspiration. So when her beloved hat blows away, Bridget searches for it high and low. She files a Missing Beret Report. She even considers other hats, but none of them feel quite right. It’s no use; without her beret, Bridget can’t seem to draw. How will she overcome her artist’s block?
Make sure to check out Bridget’s notebook scribbles at the end of the book for her thoughts and facts on art!
Bridget's Beret is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Synopsis
Bridget loves to draw, and she likes to wear a beret for inspiration. So when her beloved hat blows away, Bridget searches for it high and low. She files a Missing Beret Report. She even considers other hats, but none of them feel quite right. It’s no use; without her beret, Bridget can’t seem to draw. How will she overcome her artist’s block?
Make sure to check out Bridget’s notebook scribbles at the end of the book for her thoughts and facts on art!
Children's Literature
Bridget, a budding artist, loves to draw, particularly outdoors. She is sure that her most important art supply is her big black beret, like the ones she has seen on many "Great Artists." So when the wind blows her beret away, she fears that her art has gone with it. After trying other hats in vain, Bridget simply gives up. When her little sister Jessie asks her to make a sign for her lemonade stand, Bridget resists at first. But then, since it is only a sign, she agrees. As she paints, however, it becomes more than a sign. She paints many "masterpieces" until there is an art show opening around the lemonade stand. And even without the beret, Bridget finds herself "back where she belonged." The visual tale has a lighthearted quality. Casual black ink outlines, colored pencils, and lightly applied watercolors create cartoony figures with skinny arms and legs and large heads characteristic of young children. Emotions are clearly seen. The double page of nine vignettes showing Bridget trying on different hats is particularly amusing. The final two pages are devoted to hints on "How to Start Your Art" for those with artist's block. A variety of exercises using famous pictures as models should inspire young readers. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
Editorials
From the Publisher
“Unexpectedly clever.” —The Washington Post“Hilarious…A witty, well-shaped story…and a clever homage to many of the Great Artists and their works, from Leonardo to Warhol. – Kirkus, Starred
“There are great suggestions at the back of the book for getting started on new projects.” –OrlandoSentinel
“This smart, saucy book, with its spacious cartoon-style art, is both a spur to artistic endeavor and a message about inspiration and hard work. Yet the motivations are cocooned by a crackin’ good tale and tempered by a full-faceted heroine. Tips for readers about creating their own art neatly complete an already strong package that can easily be worked into the curriculum.”—Booklist, Starred Review
“Lichtenheld takes this story beyond predictable spirit-was-in-you-all-along take by providing a respectful, age-appropriate acknowledgement of the fickleness of the artistic muse”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Lichtenheld’s ink, colored pencil, and watercolor cartoon illustrations, heavy on line and filled with childlike drawings, add humor and character to the story.”—School Library Journal