Read: 'Claude Monet, The Painter Who Stopped the Trains'

Editor's note: Every week, staff at the will suggest one book, DVD or other item to check out from the library. Go to the library's website for more information.

• Type: Children's picture book
• Title: Claude Monet, The Painter Who Stopped the Trains
• Author: P.I. Maltbie

As you read Claude Monet, The Painter Who Stopped the Trains, I think you will love the beautiful Impressionist-inspired watercolors as much as I do. The story tells how Claude Monet was invited to show his art with other artists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Gustave Caillebotte.

This was during a time when people made fun of the Impressionist style of painting, especially of Monet’s paintings. Wanting to create something special for the show he was inspired by his son’s love for trains and decided to create a series of scenes set in the Gare Saint-Lazare train station. The author tells how Monet used a clever ploy to receive permission to delay trains at the station so that he could catch them in the right light. Monet worked for months and when the show opened the public’s response was pure excitement.

While this book focuses on a particular moment in Monet’s career, it is an option for students to use in biography reports. I also found a guide in the back of the book listing museums who house some of Monet’s paintings. You can visit the Art Institute of Chicago to view some of the paintings mentioned in the story.

You can find other great books about art and artists in the non-fiction sections of both our Adult and Youth Services Departments. Also, if you really enjoy art, please join the Friends of the New Lenox Public Library as they host the Spring Arts Festival on Saturday inside the New Lenox Public Library. 

This festival will boast many original pieces of art, including paintings, jewelry and more, all donated by community members and businesses. These items will be up for silent auction. I have attended the last two Spring Arts Festival’s and had a wonderful time!