The Princess and the Peacocks Or, the Story of the Room

This ambitious story chronicles the endeavors of celebrated artist James McNeill Whistler to redecorate the room containing one of his most beautiful paintings, La Princesse du Pays de la Porcelaine (The Princess from the Land of Porcelain) . Told through the voice of the painting's subject, the prevailing attitude of the time--the delineation between fine and applied art is so fine as to be virtually nonexistent--is handily conveyed. (Though the relating of the actual decorating process is somewhat misleading in its simplicity.) Whistler's enigmatic personality, too, emerges to a point--though this will be of scant concern to the picture book set. Indeed, this admirably intentioned and handsomely executed book seems to lie beyond the grasp of the target audience, even allowing for some stretching of that audience's interest. Dixon's resplendent watercolors--somewhat reminiscent of the work of Graham Rust--display a painterly quality that offers additional insight into the creative process. Ages 5-9. (Apr.)