The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day, Brett Helquist
Published by Random House Studio on September 5, 2023
ISBN: 0593643844
Pages: 288
Genres: Arts, Biography/Autobiography, Mystery, Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Did you know that before 1911, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, known in France as La Joconde but in the US as the Mona Lisa, was in fact not famous? Written by Nicholas Day and copiously illustrated by Brett Helquist (A Series of Unfortunate Events), this narrative non-fiction book relates the fascinating tale of the theft of a small portrait from the Louvre in the early 20th century and how its disappearance sparked an international search for one of Leonardo’s only finished paintings. Day interchanges brief chapters of the heist and hunt with information on Leonardo da Vinci, his life in Renaissance Italy, and how the man of many talents but no follow through came to paint the Mona Lisa. Along the way, readers learn about art, fingerprints, and two time periods of court and political intrigue. Day keeps the momentum by adroitly cutting to different settings and characters connected to the creation or capture of what is now the most visited work of art in the world. This title is highly recommended for all middle grade and junior high school students. Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Melissa M. Orth, Richmond Middle/High School, Richmond, ME