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Linnea in Monet's Garden



Last updated Thursday, May 28, 2020

Author: Christina Björk
Illustrator: Lena Anderson
Date of Publication: 2012
ISBN: 1402277296
Grade Level: 2nd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Aug. 2019

Synopsis: Linnea has been in Paris. And she has visited the painter Claude Monet's garden! She even stood on the same little Japanese bridge that Monet painted so often in his pictures. In Paris, Linnea got to see many of the real paintings. Now she can understand what it means to be called an Impressionist, and she knows a lot about Monet's life in the pink house where he lived with his eight children.

Note to readers:
•  Start on page 8 and end on page 33 (or as far as you can read in the time allotted.)

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Have you been to a museum? What did you like most about the museum?
•  Have you been on a train? Where did you go?
•  Do you have a garden? (Some schools have a school garden)
•  What flowers and plants do you have in your school (or home) garden?

Vocabulary

•  Impressionist - a painter, writer, or composer who is an advocate of impression (emphasis on the accurate depiction of light). Monet, Manet, Van Gogh are three examples.
•  Splotchy - marked or covered with large, irregular splots; blot; blotches.
•  Cataract - a partial or total opactiy of the crystalline lens of the eye

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What is your favorite flower? Pages 16 and 17 have different flowers
•  How many flowers can you name?

Craft ideas:
•  Make a frame by cutting a square/rectangle/oval out of the center of a page and attach it to another sheet of contrasting color.
•  Create your own Monet painting! Draw your impression of the bridge shown on pages 22 and 23.
•  Make a water lily out of construction paper or a plate. See Pinterest.
•  Draw a picture of your family or make a family tree.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/august-2019-arts-and-entertainment/linnea-in-monets-garden/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!