The Mona Lisa Vanishes, Nicholas Day
The Mona Lisa Vanishes, Nicholas Day
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
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The Mona Lisa Vanishes
A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity

Author: Nicholas Day

Narrator: Carlotta Brentan

Unabridged: 4 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/05/2023


Synopsis

A propulsive work of narrative nonfiction about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world—and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all.

On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago, a desperate guard burst into the office of the director of the Louvre and shouted, La Joconde, c’est partie! The Mona Lisa, she’s gone!

No one knew who was behind the heist. Was it an international gang of thieves? Was it an art-hungry American millionaire? Was it the young Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, who was about to remake the very art of painting?

Travel back to an extraordinary period of revolutionary change: turn-of-the-century Paris. Walk its backstreets. Meet the infamous thieves—and detectives—of the era. And then slip back further in time and follow Leonardo da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa, through his dazzling, wondrously weird life. Discover the secret at the heart of the Mona Lisa—the most famous painting in the world should never have existed at all.

Here is a middle-grade nonfiction written at the pace of a thriller, shot through with stories of crime and celebrity, genius and beauty.

About The Author

NICHOLAS DAY is the author of Baby Meets World, a work of narrative nonfiction for adults about the science and history of infancy, which Mary Roach called “a perfect book.” He has written regularly for Slate; his work has also appeared in the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his family.BRETT HELQUIST is the illustrator of classics such as A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The House of Bunnicula by James Howe, and books by Blue Balliet, including the New York Times bestselling Chasing Vermeer. Visit him on the Web at bretthelquist.com or on Instagram at @bhelquist.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Betsy

I sense that we are on the brink of something. I’ve sensed it for a while. Do you remember when Smile by Raina Telgemeier came out and all of a sudden the demand for graphic novels and comics for kids reached a fever pitch? Do you also remember that it took another decade before the publishing world......more

My first Middle Grade March 2024 finish and the group read! This was so fun. It’s written so engagingly about history that I know very little about. I loved the sections about Leonardo da Vinci and how well they were woven in with the “present day” story of the infamous Mona Lisa theft from the Louv......more

Goodreads review by Katie

Informative, fast paced narrative nonfiction that is just SO much fun. I never took any art history classes so I learned so much from this book and I loved every second! Highly recommend for kids (or adults…) who are interested in art/art history or heist stories—or even for kids who are skeptical o......more

This was incredible. I never knew anything about it and just read it for the summer Olympics challenge but wow it was a great read. I think even if you know the story you would enjoy it. Very well done can’t wait to read more like it.......more


Quotes

“[A] witty thriller." —The New York Times

“One of the best books of 2023, bar none.” —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal Fuse #8 blog

“The tale of a stunning art heist told with a contagious love of stranger-than-fiction true stories!” —Steve Sheinkin, Newbery Honor–winning author of Bomb
 
“A thrilling, often hilarious, page-turning read.  Kids will devour it. I know I did.” —Candace Fleming, Sibert Honor–winning author of The Family Romanov

★ "A multistranded yarn skillfully laid out in broad, light brush strokes with some cogent themes mixed in." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A completely engaging book." —Booklist, starred review

★ "A wildly entertaining, thoroughly contextualized look at art, history, and fame." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"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." —The Horn Book

"The playful prose in direct address charmingly invites readers into a story that details everything from the stuffy gender roles of fifteenth-century Florence to a wildly inept police investigation to a rather deceitful and not at all admirable Pablo Picasso." —The Bulletin

"An intriguing exploration of a significant yet little-known event." —School Library Journal


Awards

  • Georgia Children's Book Award
  • Keystone to Reading Book Award
  • Maine Student Book Award
  • Michigan Library Association YouPer (Young Person) Award
  • Ohio Buckeye Children's Book Award
  • Robert F. Sibert Medal
  • South Carolina Children's Book Award
  • Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award
  • Vermont Golden Dome Book Award
  • Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award