Bijou, Bonbon and Beau: The Kittens Who Danced for Degas

By Joan Sweeney

Book Overview

On a cold dark night, a mama cat seeks shelter for her newborn kittens in a Parisian theater known for its ballet and for the famous artist who comes there to sketch. While the ballerinas practice, Bijou, Bonbon and Beau make themselves right at home to the delight of the dancers as well as the artist who quietly sketches them. Oh, the mischief they get into They chase the ballerinas, sleep in their toeshoes, and frolick amongst their tutus. Until finally, the irritable stage manager threatens to throw the mischevious little trio back onto the street. But, on opening night, it is Bijou, Bonbon and Beau who steal the show. Beautiful pastel illustrations capture the spirit of Degas, and a surprise gatefold reproduction introduces readers to an actual Degas painting. A short bio on the artist is also included making this both a captivating story and an enchanting introduction to impressionist art that will appeal to cat-lovers, art afficionados, and ballerinas of all ages

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811819752
• ISBN13: 9780811819756
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 26 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7

Customer Reviews

Wonderful story...!

Short, but sweet. Whether you like great art, dance or cute little kitty cats (or all three!) this brisk little book should bring a big smile... Painted after the style of Edgar Degas, this tells the story of a mama cat and her three kittens who become adopted by the dancers and stagehands of a Paris concert hall where Degas is making sketches for his famous ballet paintings. Degas himself is enchanted by the kittens and shields them from the scornful eye of a hot-tempered house manager, all the while working on his famous paintings. Cute story, beautiful artwork, nice cultural-historical lesson as well, although in a very subtle, unforced way. Recommended!

"Kitties are angels in fur."

Any girl should love this book with a sweet story by Sweeney and lovely illustrations of kitties and ballerinas plus an introduction to the renown French artist, Edgar Degas (1834-1917) whose studies of ballerinas are known for their "mastery of motion and for reviving the lost art of pastel." Degas is considered one of the great artists of his time and Leslie Wu's illustrations are in keeping with his style but with her own unique vision and bolder use of color. Great job, Leslie! I wish more stories were tributes to great artists like BIJOU, BONBON & BEAU--Sweeney and Wu set a nice example I hope others follow."No one saw a cat slip through the back door." Kitties may cause mischief, yet can win over even the grumpiest of persons, in this case, Mr. Klenk. I don't want to give away the story, so please enjoy reading this amusing book with your little girl, or buy it for your older reader. Great book for girls aged five to twelve.As a dear friend of mine recently shared with me, "Kitties are angels in fur." So true. I certainly love my cat and can't imagine what I'd do without her. I've only had her close to two months and it feels like a lifetime. Soar!

Enchanting and Sweet

The best review I can give this book is that my 3 1/2 y.o. daughter just loves it. It is a sweet story about a mother cat and her kittens who live in a Parisian theatre and are cared for by the members of the ballet company. The story is simple for young children, but the presence of Degas sketching the ballerinas opens the door for many other discussions about art and may even inspire a trip to the museum. Tara, I respectfully disagree with your asessment of the prose. Keep in mind this is a children's book. The tone flows smoothly and is a wonderful soothing story that does not excite my daughter when I'm trying to get her ready for bed.

Cute story

I liked this book a great deal , but I wish that the authors would include a phonatic spelling for the French words. I loved the illustrations. I would recommend this book to others. My children love art as much as I do , they enjoyed the kittens in the story.Great read aloud book. Check you french dictonary first.

Bijou, Bonbon and Beau

"Look, kittens! " This book is about a cat named Marmalade and her three kittens, Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau. This story takes place in Paris, France. Bijou, Bonbon and Beau make their home in a ballet theater. The angry stage manager does not like pets! So, the costume designer takes care of the family. One night during a ballet performance, the kittens charge on to the stage. Will the stage manager allow that? Find out! There is also a young artist in the book who spends a lot of time sketching the ballet dancers. He also tries to keep peace in the theater. He wants to convince the stage manager to like the cats, but the stage manager does not listen.I'd like to say that the pictures by Leslie Wu are so beautiful and make you want to just look at them over and over! Leslie Wu copied Edgar Degas' style. At the end of the book, they show the Rehearsal On The Stage (one of Degas' paintings). Do you remember the young artist I just mentioned? Well, I think that the author meant him to be Edgar Degas!I think you should read this book especially if you want to know how to dance ballet or even play a sport because you can do anything you choose to do... even if you are a cat! I would also recommend this book to kids/grown-ups that like cats because the cats and even the dancers are just like Edgar Degas' paintings. They are fuzzy and light-colored. If you did now know who painted the pictures, I bet you would guess that Edgar Degas was the artist!