Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

When Mr. Peppard, known to his students as Mr. Popart, begins teaching art at Bayside Prep, it is love at first class for young art-lover Bettina Valentino. In fact, Mr. Popart is so spirited, insightful, and daring (as well as being a dashing dresser) that all of the fifth-graders are soaking up his lessons in Dadaism, Cubism, and, naturally, Pop Art—all of the fifth-graders, that is, except Maxine Rattle, who is determined to convince her parents to get Mr. Popart canned. Unfortunately, the Rattles are major benefactors at Bayside, and, following an incident wherein Maxine reports Mr. Popart for showing lewd paintings to the class (nude paintings by Matisse), there is a huge parent meeting and Mr. Popart is suspended. Daly's latest novel is ultimately a story about justice, as perceived by the energetic and wholly likable Bettina. This is also a story about art and about finding art that speaks to you; the class discussions about the art are provocative, and the book clearly implies that different art speaks to different people in different ways. There is a veritable cornucopia of illustrations, from spot art to half-page images throughout the text, depicting everything from the characters in the story to Bettina's fantasies to examples of the artists being discussed; the lively, limber humor of the scenes enhance the story's energy. A strong storyline and standout illustrations combined with a stellar ensemble cast led by the unstoppable Bettina Valentino make this a work of chapter-book art.