(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) was unconventional: "When Mary was a girl in Pennsylvania, she knew she'd be an artist one day." Her determination serves her well in Paris, where she works alongside Degas, eventually becoming a great painter. Brief, lyrical sentences capture Mary's connection to art and her significance in the art world. Textured mixed-media paintings echo Cassatt's own style. Bib.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(4) 4-6 This biography uses Cassatt's life to make a point about following one's dreams. The text outlines her childhood ambitions, the challenges she faced, and her eventual artistic success. Numerous reproductions of paintings help inform the text's discussion of Cassatt's subjects and techniques, though the commentary can be vague and bland ("The people in her pictures showed their feelings in their faces").

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) K-3 Life and Work Of series. In these marginally revised editions, two-page chapters cover each artist's life and art. The left-hand pages give brief biographical facts, with illustrations of the artists at work and their families, travels, and sources of inspiration. The right-hand pages feature reproductions of the artist's work with comments about style, subjects, or materials. There are five other spring 2006 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Life and Work of titles: Claude Monet, Henry Moore, Paul Klee, Mary Cassatt, and Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Artist Biographies series. This straightforward biography of Impressionist painter Cassatt focuses primarily on how the artist's life (particularly her exposure to European and Asian art forms) influenced her own developing style. Also emphasized are Cassatt's particular struggles as a woman artist. Large, easy-to-read type may be appealing, but most of the reproductions are relegated to sidebars and are too small to be effective. Timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) PS Full-page reproductions of Cassatt's paintings of mothers and children each face two words of simple text ("baby sits," "baby hands," "baby feeds") in this book published in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sure it's gimmicky, but babies (and their caregivers) will enjoy recognizing the familiar activities in Cassatt's work. Information about each of the sixteen pieces is appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Smart about Art series. Illustrated by Jennifer Kalis. Presented as a fictional student report on an artist's life and work, each of these brief studies includes selected reproductions as well as "student"-drawn cartoons, family photos, and hand-written annotations. Although the goal here isn't research, these easy-to-read, lighthearted introductions may spark further study or serve as the blueprint for actual school projects. [Review covers these Smart about Art titles: Pablo Picasso and Mary Cassatt.]

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) 4-6 Descriptions of art techniques and the Impressionists' break with the nineteenth-century Paris art world are woven into Cassatt's life story while anecdotes and analysis of some individual paintings personalize and focus the text. Excellent reproductions allow readers to explore Cassatt's subjects, themes, and talent. Appended are brief sketches of some Impressionists and locations of specific paintings. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges