THE PAINTER

A child's view of family life. The father is a painter, the mother sits at home at a computer, a German shepherd gets into everything, and the narrator is a spunky, imaginative little girl who loves spending time with her father. They make breakfast, read the comics, and pretend they're magicians. But most of the time, Daddy disappears into his studio, where the dejected narrator isn't allowed. He lets her in after dinner, and she is delighted to be a painter, just like him. Catalanotto (Christmas Always..., 1993, etc.) creates sparkling watercolors that catch the morning light pouring in a kitchen window and evening shadows after supper. The loose, fluid style focuses on important details: the painter's tools, the ever- present dog, and the changing expressions on the little girl's face. The entire work is simply and beautifully done, modestly self-absorbed, by an illustrator who is searching for a story in his own backyard. (Picture book. 4-7)