A very cute book to read with your little ones. We had a lovely time reading it and will read it many more times for sure!

Colour brings healing and comfort to one little girl and those who are fortunate enough to know her.

Elisabeth grew up in a house in Paris that was always full of love, laughter and colour. Just like her father, Elisabeth loved to paint. She would paint anything and everything using every possible colour. But when she is packed off to school, the colour is drained from her world and she exists in a world of grey: grey buildings, grey uniforms, grey rooms, and a very gloomy teacher. It wasn’t long before the greyness was forcing its way into her and she too began to feel very grey. And when a family tragedy occurs, it seems like the greyness would never leave. Will the colour ever return to Elisabeth’s world or will her gift as an artist be lost forever…

This delightful little read is inspired by the world-famous artist Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, one of France’s most important painters who made a name for herself painting portraits, including several of Queen Marie Antoinette. It is a touching tale of a young girl who through friendship is empowered to use her creative talents to help her navigate the gloomiest of times and find moments of colour in every day.

As well as being a fabulous fictionalised biography, this is a valuable lesson in pursuing the things that you love. Elisabeth is repeatedly told that her art is not necessary, that her world of colour is unacceptable and that she should not waste her time sketching and instead focus on her studies (sums and spellings) but she shows the value of having courage in your convictions and uses her talents to brighten the lives of many. The creative arts are an essential part of the primary curriculum and this story emphasises the importance of affording children the opportunity to explore with paints and crayons. A fascinating afterword provides more information about the interesting life of a young artist-in-the-making and what she went onto achieve throughout her life.

In a read that celebrates art, colours and paintings you would expect the illustrations to be somewhat special, and Rebecca Cobb’s picture perfect strokes expertly capture the mood and period. Vibrant and happy colour-filled pictures are a stark contrast to the greys of life at school - personal favourites are the glimmers of colour that Elisabeth manages to snatch during her grey days (colour is everywhere if you know where to look).

A beautiful read that will bring a splash of colour to any grey day.

The newest addition to Barrington Stoke’s Little Gem series is 'Elisabeth and the Box of Colours' which is written by Katherine Woodfine and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. It tells the imagined childhood of eighteenth-century French portrait painter Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun whose days with her artist father and the rest of her family are full of colour.

Little Élisabeth learns to express herself with her drawings and she joyfully captures her vibrant world with paint and paper. When she goes away to a new school her world becomes grey and sad. Colours are literally locked away and tragedy darkens her world even more. But can this darkness really supress the power of creativity and friendship?

'Elisabeth and the Box of Colours' is a gorgeous book that tells an intimate little story but contains a huge message about embracing what we love and expressing ourselves through art. Woodfine is a master of filling simple sentences with emotion and she makes Élisabeth’s story both moving and inspiring. Her words are conjured into stunning illustrations by Cobb whose colour palette matches Élisabeth’s feelings and sets the tone for every page on which they appear.

Woodfine’s writing style perfectly fits with Barrington Stoke’s accessible and dyslexia-friendly style. She manages to be both concise and expressive while inviting us into the story of a person who had an extraordinary life. I love that it tells the story of Élisabeth as a child and sets out the things that might have inspired her to become an extraordinary artist as an adult. It is an enchanting and engaging treasure of a story.

Elisabeth liked to draw like her father. She loved his work and started coloring her own. Then she got old enough to go to school. It was clear across town and she stayed in a dorm there. Everything was grey...
Barrington Stoke and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on February 3rd.

Her father sent her with a book she could draw in and crayons to use while drawing. Her mother sent her with pretty colorful clothes. The teacher confiscated all of that and Elizabeth was almost as grey as her surroundings. And then her father died...

One thing the teacher didn't expect was that the other students found her things she could continue to draw with. She made drawings of their relatives, their homes and even their pets. She also had a habit of drawing in her textbooks.

One day she finds her crayons in her desk. She brightens up her picture of her father and life wasn't so grey.

This is a story based on facts. It's about a real painter and her life. I'm just glad the teacher mellowed out somewhat and let her draw.

A sweet story which explores grief and art.

Perfect for children who have lost a loved one, or for budding artists.

I loved the illustrations which were full of life and colour, bringing a glint of joy to even the saddest moments in this story.

As with all Barrington Stoke books, it's really accessible and pitched just right.

This sweet story is based on the life of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, a French painter renowned for her portraits. While Woodfine takes some small liberties with Elisabeth's age when her father died, she explains them in the bio following the story. Young Elisabeth spends her early years learning art from her father, Louis Vigee, a portrait painter, until the age of six, when she is sent to a convent for schooling. At the school, she's surrounded by gray, and she misses having color around her. She isn't even allowed to have the coloring set her father gave her when she left! She still manages to draw, using her schoolbooks when she runs out of paper in her notebook (which got her into trouble). When her father dies, she is plunged into depression, unable to create, until her classmates find her art materials and paper to use, which helps pull her out of the dark place she'd been in. Then a mysterious benefactor gifts her a new coloring set, and soon she's creating portraits for her classmates, drawing their visiting family members, but her first portrait is of her father, to help ease her missing him. Though it sounds like a sad story, it's really quite hopeful, and I loved the message of using art (or whatever your hobby may be) for healing. The illustrations are a perfect match for the text, conveying the mood with color or shades of gray fitting the events of the story. Altogether, a lovely book!

#ElisabethandtheBoxofColours #NetGalley

I got this on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review!

This was a really sweet, but sad, story! I loved the mix of text and pictures, and I could really feel Elisabeth's feelings through the storytelling and pictures! And it discusses grief perfectly! Can really recommend!

This is a fine book about the need to let your creativity have a way out. Elizabeth goes through so much just to be the artist she wants, and needs, to be. I was a little sad at the end of this book. It has a happy ending, but Elizabeth has to fight for every step she takes forward. I was excited to find out at the end that Elizabeth was a real person who seems to have come through the struggle to live a fine life.

Based on the true life of artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, famous for her portraits, in later life.

But in this case, it is her childhood, where she is sent to away to a boarding school that doesn't want her to draw, or paint, or have any color at all, so she must add her own.

She tries to be good, and adhere to the rules, until her father dies, and she just has to put color back into the world.

Sweet story, and hopefully will get children interested in Elisabeth and her art.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

I love books from Barrington Stoke and have a large collection of them at school. I was keen to read this one and was definitely not disappointed.

This is the story of the artist, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun and how she copes when she moves from her colourful family home to her grey school on the other side of Paris. Not allowed to draw and her art supplies confiscated, Élisabeth's time at school is difficult. This only starts to improve when her new friends discover her drawings and steal back her crayons. When Élisabeth's father dies and her world becomes even more grey, her school friends work out how to help her to feel happy again and she eventually goes on to become one of France's greatest artists.

I really enjoyed this book and particularly liked how this Little Gem will appeal to slightly older children than some of the others, but still retains the wonderful Barrington Stoke features that make their books so popular and accessible.

In a Nutshell: This is just as cute as the cover suggests. But don’t even begin to think that this is yet another typical children’s story full of fluff and fun! On the contrary, it depicts a heart-warming tale of how a little girl battled with her personal loss with her talent.

Story:
Elisabeth is a little girl who loves watching her dad paint in his studio. She has her own set of colours, and she paints every chance she gets. But when she is sent away to school, she finds that her school is full of drab greys, from her uniform to the school walls to the notebooks to the dorms. She misses homes, she misses colours, and most of all, she misses her Papa. One morning brings some terrible news from home and Elizabeth is plunged into despair. But she soon realises that her dear colours can help convert her sorrow into some vibrant happy memories.

In spite of the sad news that Elisabeth receives midway the story, the book is still hopeful and inspiring. It shows how your hobbies can help you deal with persona pain, and your talent is better if shared with others rather than kept to yourself. It also depicts the beauty of friendship and the importance of having a support system around you when you are in grief.

The story is based on the life of French artist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, who is known for her portrait paintings. She was one of the few members of the French Royal Academy, and was the last royal painter of the French monarchs before the French revolution. She has painted over thirty portraits of Marie Antoinette. And she was self-taught!!! All this and more is revealed in a note at the end of the book, which details the adult life of the real Elisabeth. This made the story even more special.

For a book that talks of colours and paintings, the illustrations ought to be of a high standard, right? And that’s exactly how the sketches in this cute little book are! Rebecca Cobb, the illustrator, does such an amazing job of showing Elisabeth with her colours as well as her grey moods. The illustrations suit the mood of the story perfectly.

The vocabulary level of the book is well-suited for early fluent readers. Emergent readers too will be able to handle the content, with some assistance from an adult.

Overall, this is an amazing and inspiring story of a little girl using her passion for colours to fight away the pain in her life as well of those around her. Heartily recommended.

4.5 stars. Suitable for readers aged 4-8 years.

My thanks to Barrington Stoke, Little Gems, and NetGalley for the ARC of “Elisabeth and the Box of Colours”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Funny & sweet! My children loved the illustrations and lovely prose. I'm looking forward to introducing it to my class in school

The latest title from the Little Gems series by Barrington Stoke, designed in super readable format for individuals beginning their reading journey is a delightful read, based on the true story of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun and written by one of my favourite children’s book authors, Katherine Woodfine. I have lost count of the number of times that I have praised Barrington Stoke books on my blog, for their remarkable record of serving up truly engaging books which appeal to all readers, but are especially accessible to those for whom reading does not come easily. As an individual with close family members who are dyslexic, I will never tire of banging the drum for these books.

As for Elisabeth and the Box of Colours, it is a book which will appeal to a broad audience, written with real heart by Katherine Woodfine, and sumptuously illustrated throughout in full colour by Rebecca Cobb. The first part of the book is written as a story, whilst the latter part presents a short biography of the famous portrait painter and points out where some artistic licence was taken during the story.

The opening page transports you right into the heart of a happy family, positively brimming with energy and laughter. Papa is dancing with the young daughter whilst Mama is joining in the gaiety with a toddler riding on her shoulders. The illustration is a riot of jewel colours; Papa wears an azure coat splattered with multi-coloured paint, the daughter wears jade, Mama is in coral and the toddler wears emerald. You know that you are entering a world in which colour, joy and art are celebrated. Time in this tall, elegant Parisian house seems to pass pleasantly, with Papa painting in the studio on the top floor and Elisabeth sharing his studio space and his artist materials and painting everything that she sees.

But then, suddenly the colour drains from the pictures as Elisabeth is sent to boarding school on the other side of Paris, and the crayons that Papa carefully packed for her, are confiscated by her new teacher. The illustrations in this part of the book reveal the depression experienced by Elisabeth so brilliantly, as well as the lift she gets from the natural world when the grey pictures are enlivened by small splashes of colour. My favourite page is one which depicts Elisabeth drawing for her classmates in the glowing light of a candle in their dormitory. It is so beautifully rendered that I could almost feel the warm glow from the flame, which for me symbolised the warmth of companionship. After tragedy strikes her family, Elisabeth can only remove the grey fog of grief by remembering the colours that defined her Papa. Katherine Woodfine’s delicate writing, using simple but emotionally sensitive vocabulary, helps readers to recognise that however grey life might become, colour will always return.

After the moving story, I found the brief biographical details at the end of the book absolutely fascinating. I have to admit that I had never heard of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun before reading this book, despite the fact that she was one of the few members of the French Royal Academy and has artworks on display in many museums and art galleries. It is even possible that I have looked at some of the portraits that she painted of Marie-Antionette and never noted her name. This is one of the absolute joys of great children’s books; they provide enlightenment for ALL readers. I highly recommend Elisabeth and the Box of Colours for all readers of 8+.

Just like her father, Elizabeth loves to paint and loves colour; however, when she is sent away to boarding school, her box of paints is removed from her and her grey surroundings begin to overwhelm her, until she begins to draw using . What's more, she misses her father. The she discovers that her father has died suddenly and her life tumbles into an even greyer life. Will she ever be able to find joy in her life again?

Inspired by the life of the portrait artist Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun, this is a beautifully told tale of childhood and finding joy in even the smallest of things. It's a story of quiet determination and of a love of art and colour. The story touches on grief in a way that children will be able to understand and shows the joy art can bring to children's lives. The illustrations from Rebecca are as beautiful as the writing and are worthy of spending time on alone. With information about Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun at the end that will inspire, this is a wonderful book and I can't wait to get my hands on a 'real' copy.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The story was great and the pictures are amazing! I read this to my seven-year-old niece and she really enjoyed it!

I'm a massive fan of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, and reading about her in a children's book was marvellous. I enjoyed the story and the illustrations. Excellent book!

I am not sure if I have seen a book so beautiful with such a wonderful message brought to life by the stunning illustrations by Rebecca Cobb. Elisabeth and the Box of Colours brings joy in moments of grief and is a heartfelt, uplifting and moving story inspired by the life of French Portrait artist Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun whose works can now be found in art galleries and museums all around the world.

I just love how this book is brought to life by colour. Even in the darkest of times colour can put a smile on anyone’s faces. The world is currently suffering a global pandemic which are dark times but with the support of colour we can feel uplifted and have hope that things can and will get better.

This story follows Elisabeth who adores colour, and when she is sent away to school her life becomes darker and darker but with the little help of colour she can bring happiness back in her life and those around her.

I absolutely loved this book and it will stay with me for a long time – especially as I love making things look colourful. Especially my school library so it looks vibrant welcoming and supportive to staff and students. When I also think about colour I think about the PRIDE movement and how their symbol is a beautiful colourful rainbow which is celebrated all around the world. Colour brings happiness into people’s lives!

This book is a story of friendship, hope and bringing joy into people’s lives.

A beautiful book based on a true story to inspire children to follow their dreams.

The illustrations are bold and help bring the book to life for the reader. Splitting up the text which is laid out in a dyslexia friendly format.

It can be hard to find good age/ability appropriate non fiction texts and this book is an ideal bridge.

Also a very good book to address loss of a loved one.

Definitely one to add to the shelves in the class library or to read aloud.

This easily accessible short chapter book for young children is wonderful on so many levels. It is based on the life of the famous French portrait artist- Elisabeth Vigée le Brun and introduces children to this artist beautifully. The illustrations are utterly enchanting and the contrast between the bright colours and then the grey pages to show when Elisabeth is facing difficult emotions is perfect. The story covers separation and grief in a gentle, sensitive way and would be perfect for anyone wanting or needing books around these issues. As an educationalist I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

What a delightful version of the artist Vigee le Brun's early life. I remember reading a biography when I was a child, but that is a VERY long time ago. This brings the young artist to the notice of an entirely new audience and shows that she succeeded at a time of great troubles, i.e the French revolution. It makes a wonderful addition to the understanding of women in art and helps broaden our knowledge of the period.