Rosa’s Animals: The Story of Rosa Bonheur and Her Painting Menagerie

In a historically rich chronicle of artist Rosa Bonheur’s life, Macdonald presents her subject as an adventurous, principled, and deeply committed artist. Bonheur’s paintings are featured throughout the narrative, providing readers with a vivid sense of her art style and fascination with animal subjects. Memorable details convey the lengths to which Bonheur went for her art, including visiting a slaughterhouse to observe animal anatomy and gaining permission from the Paris police to dress as a man in order to attend a horse fair. The book also places Bonheur’s contributions into the broader context of art history, including the rise of Impressionism and its usurpation of naturalism. Ages 8–12. (June)