Steven chronicles Claude Monet's rise to fame and contributions to Impressionism in this colorful report, featuring Steven's funny cartoons alongside reproductions of classic paintings like Waterlilies. Grade 1-3-The conceit behind these biographies is that they were written by elementary-grade students as reports on the painters. Each book opens with a letter from their teacher, "Ms. Brandt," outlining some questions the student might want to think about when preparing the assignment: why did you pick this artist; if you could ask him or her three questions what would they be; and did you learn anything that surprised you? Unfortunately, the end results are cluttered pages and possibly confusing content. While each book includes facts about the subject's life (birth date and place, childhood, work, etc.), it also incorporates little bits of information about the child who is writing the report. For example, Kristin, the "author" of Degas, includes her own self-portrait next to the artist's. The material presented on each subject is strictly biographical; there is no discussion of the artists' technique or place in art history. Colorful pages and lettering highlight the many reproductions, photographs, childlike drawings, and snippets of text. The "Getting to Know the World's Great Artists" series (Children's) presents solid factual information along with reproductions. However, for an engaging introduction to an artist by a fictional character, steer readers to Christina Bj?rk's Linnea in Monet's Garden (R & S, 1987) or Neil Waldman's appealing The Starry Night (Boyds Mills, 2001). Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. *Starred Review* Reviewed with Marryann Cocca-Leffler's Edgar Degas . Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Like the books in Mike Venezia's Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series, these winning biographies in the Smart about Art series feature lively cartoon drawings as they introduce artists. Written in the voice of a young student, Kristin Cole, and presented in the format of a school report, the books recount events in each artist's life and offer insight into his work, using charming childlike drawings and reproductions of the artist's paintings in scrapbook-style layouts to illustrate both the stories and the artistic explanations. The result is a successful blend of fact and humor that makes sophisticated concepts completely accessible and even entertaining. Impressionism, for example, is explained through juxtaposed photos of light shifting over landscapes and close-ups of brush strokes. Artists' quotes and plenty of sassy asides add to the easy, substantive appeal. of these books, which are sure to spark children's curiosity for individual interest or for their own reports. Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved True Kelley is the author-illustrator of  Who Was Pablo Picasso?  and the author of  Who Is Dolly Parton? ,  Who Was Abigail Adams? , and  Who Was Roald Dahl