Lisa Railsback

I just couldn't believe in Betti/Babo or her adoptive family, though some of the other characters felt more real. Perhaps because of that the action all seemed perfunctory, crossing narrative t's and dotting emotional i's.

Fantastic story about a girl named Noonie Norton. She's a quirky kid with art on the brain. She misses her parents, and struggles to find her place in the world with family and friends. Art is her outlet and salvation. The art history descriptions of actual art Masters is a bonus. This story is inspiring and I loved all the eclectic illustrations! Thumbs up!

I loved this book! I was looking for a light break from a slighty heavier current read and this was just the ticket. The creative way Noonie's story is presented combined with a message good for both young readers ("a brillant artist must try not to be afraid") and adult readers (the story presented has many underlying themes as well)....definitely a book to check on the next time you are out and about. Happy reading!

Noonie's Masterpiece would have been my FAVORITE book in elementary school. Noonie is a surprisingly dedicated artist for a 4th grader, she carries her art supplies with her everywhere and creates art whenever the mood strikes her, be it a parking lot or in the hallway. But it's not surprising Noonie has latched onto art the way she has, her mother died when she was younger (she was also an artist), her father is away on archaeological digs and she lives with her aunt, uncle and cousin.

The show more story is very rich for those of us that love the arts, it's like a who's who of famous artists, I think it's a wonderful way for children to be introduced to these masters of the art world in a fun and relevant way. And the book doesn't just talk about art, it IS art. The illustrations and paintings in this book make it for me. They are silly, random, touching and so so colorful. I found myself being disappointed when there wasn't more than a little pattern on some of the pages after seeing other pages so over saturated with art. I love it.

I would highly suggest this for elementary school aged children that show an interest in the arts! show less