cover image The Frame-Up

The Frame-Up

Wendy McLeod MacKnight. Greenwillow, $16.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-266830-1

While 12-year-old budding artist Sargent Singer (his name is an homage to artist John Singer Sargent) spends the summer with his father, the executive director of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Canada, he discovers a secret. After the subject of one portrait, 13-year-old Mona Dunn, sticks her tongue out at him, he learns that the figures in the gallery’s “world-class” paintings can come to life and can speak and travel between frames. Sargent forms a close friendship with Mona, but the most powerful relationship proves to be the nuanced, raw one between Sargent and his estranged father as they repair damage caused by divorce and distance. MacKnight (It’s a Mystery, Pig Face!) gives sly nods to similar uses of the living art idea, including those in the Harry Potter series and Night at the Museum. Explanations of art concepts and works can bog the narrative down a bit, but the gradual pacing and slow-building tension will help readers navigate the complexities of the central mysteries about disappearing art, a forgery scheme, and Sargent’s father’s work. Despite some uneven moments, this fantasy, supported by an inventive cast of characters, offers a compelling portrait of art and life. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Lauren Galit, LKG Agency. (June) [/em]