★”Neatly conceived and wittily executed.”
—The Horn Book, starred review

“A Caldecott-winning author and illustrator offers a master class in art appreciation with this inspired imagining of the creation of a great painting.”
—Chicago Tribune

“In reproducing the artist’s dream, Gerstein evokes the same surrealistic nature of the painting, but his pesky animals lighten the tone. . . . This title offers children a story and information about an important Western artist and his work.”
—School Library Journal

“Gerstein interprets Rousseau’s painting style both faithfully and freely, and his story suggests that there’s nothing inevitable about the famous works of art we think we know.”
—Publishers Weekly