STEAL BACK THE MONA LISA!

Definitely a dream but no less exciting for that, this freewheeling escapade sends a lad in pursuit of international art thieves. News that the Mona Lisa has been stolen lifts Jack from his bed, transforms him into a secret agent with all sorts of cool gear and propels him across the Atlantic to recover the masterpiece before the nefarious no-goodniks can carry out their hideous plan to—well, follow Marcel Duchamp’s lead. McCarthy crafts noirish cartoons of a popeyed, trench coat–clad Jack foiling repeated attempts on his life and braving such tortures as being forced to “watch videos of chickens dancing—OVER and OVER again!” He nabs the crooks, sneaks the relieved-looking portrait back to her rightful place in the Louvre, then, using “secret methods too treacherous to mention,” ends up back in his room. A newspaper-style closing describes an actual theft of the Mona Lisa in the early 20th-century, giving this episode a tenuous connection with reality. This melodramatic adventure will keep young readers riveted. (Picture book. 6-9)