Painter's Cat

Sharon Wooding was my first grade art teacher, and I was in her class when she published this book - I am 18 yrs. old now, and I still LOVE this book!!! The illustrations are fantastic, and it is a great way to get kids interested in art, without going over their heads - it is so cute! As a former 6-year-old who loved it, I highly recommend this book. It influenced me - I'm now an artist, and attend MassArt!

Ms. Wooding has achieved the unusual (if not the impossible) in providing an amusing but educational introduction to Italian Renaissance art for kids. Aimed at youngsters (Kindergarten -3rd grade), The Painter's Cat tells the tale of a cat named Micio (pronounced meesho) who lives with his artist friend Lorenzo. Frustrated by a lack of sympathy from his usually attentive companion, Micio leaves home but soon discovers he misses his art-cat life. Finally returning to his studio, Micio discovers he plays a more important role than he realized in Lorenzo's master works. The Painter's Cat, though partly fictional, is based on the real life of Italian Renaissance master Lorenzo Lotto. Colorfully illustrated with paintings styled after those of Lotto himself, The Painter's Cat provides a valuable introduction to Renaissance life and art for children, and intriguing visual comedy for adults.