Musnet: The House of Monet. Book 1

Kickliy. Musnet: The House of Monet. Book 1 of the Musnet series. 2016. 56p. ISBN 978-1-941250-09-9. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

On his own since birth, Mouse travels from place to place looking for work and for his next piece of cheese. Arriving at Giverny, Mouse meets a sassy mouse girl named Mya who directs him towards a hole in the tree where he might find employment. Mouse discovers the hole is inhabited by Rémi, a squirrel painter who is keen on the old ways of the masters. Rémi is cantakerous, but he grudgingly agrees to take Mouse on as an apprentice. Mouse bargains with the old squirrel and in exchange for his work he expects to receive painting lessons.

Worried about him, Mya finds Mouse camping in the back yard. She warns him about the cat that lives here, and invites him to dinner with her parents. After a hearty meal, Mya’s parents invite Mouse to stay with them in this large manor house. Mya guides Mouse to his own room, filled with books and paintings. She also shows him where the human of the house works. His name is Monet, and he is creating huge canvases with unique color schemes filled with light. Right then and there, Mouse decides that’s how he will paint.

Rémi, however, has other ideas as to what constitutes a classic painting. Over the next few days, Mouse learns more about painting, and he even gets some paints of his own. When he creates his first painting, Mya tells him that his signature is missing. But Mouse has never had a name. So Mya says it’s time to pick one, so he selects Musnet, in honor of Monet and his amazing collection of colors.

Drawn in a style made famous by French artists, Musnet is illustrated with the beautiful colors that made impressionism famous. The story is attractive and its illustrated nature provides a visually appealing complement to Musnet and Mya’s tale.

The story continues in Musnet: Impressions of the Master.