New Books Blog: A Review of 'Picasso and Minou'

Editor's Note: Today Belmont Shore-Naples Patch welcomes our newest blogger, Patti Varol, a freelance writer who works at Apostrophe Books and is the assistant editor of the Los Angeles Times Crossword. She happens to be writing here about a book that I love, and an author who has visited Apostrophe Books.

In each of her books, Priscilla Maltbie portrays a real-life artist or writer in very private, very human moments.  Each central character is moved or inspired by an unlikely companion, a child or a cat.  It's easy, and accurate, to summarize Priscilla's three children's books this way, but in doing so, it's too easy to overlook the wry humor and subtle grace that make each book come to life.

Priscilla's first book, Picasso and Minou, is told from the point of view of little Minou, a cat who has very definite opinions about his painter friend's new work. Minou does not like the sad, blue world emerging on Picasso's canvases day after day. Minou is not the only one unimpressed -- Picasso's Blue paintings do not sell, and soon, unable to feed them both, the artist has to turn his beloved cat out onto the street.

Minou was a real cat; many Picasso biographies tell the story of Minou bringing home a fat sausage to the starving Picasso.  Priscilla takes this anecdote an imaginative step further in Picasso and Minou by speculating on the source of that sausage -- Minou befriends a troupe of circus performers.  Minou leads Picasso to his new friends, whose gaiety and liveliness inspire the artist to introduce the warm reds and pinks of the artist's Rose Period.

With more happiness, more color, in his work, Picasso is able to sell more paintings and is able to support himself and sweet Minou.  It's not long, however, before Picasso is making the strange Cubist art that will make him famous.  Minou, although now well-fed and content, remains unimpressed.

Picasso and Minou is the best kind of children's book.  If you are an adult who knows a thing or two about Picasso, or art, or cats, you will be charmed by this story.  And if you're a kid who wants to learn a thing or two about Picasso, or art, or cats, you will.  Adult or kid, though, you'll also learn about friendship, and loyalty, and the importance of a well-placed "meow."