Marguerite Makes a Book

by Bruce Robertson

Paris in the 1400s. A young girl named Marguerite delights in assisting her father, Jacques, in his craft: illuminating manuscripts for the nobility of France. His current commission is a splendid book of hours for his patron, Lady Isabelle, but will he be able to finish it in time for Lady Isabelle's name day?
In this richly illustrated tale, Marguerite comes to her father's aid. She journeys all over Paris buying goose feathers for quills, eggs...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 089236372X
• ISBN13: 9780892363728
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 44 Pages
• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.3" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Beautiful book - Inspirational for young artists

The illustrations are beautiful, and the historical information about illuminations was wonderful. We enjoyed reading it, and it inspired my 5 year old to make her own fancy lettering with drawings and illumination (gold glitter!).

Illuminating book about the Middle Ages

Marguerite's father Jacques is the most famous manuscript illuminator in Paris, when he is injured and cannot finish the book he is working on, Marguerite sets out to do it for him. We see Marguerite travelling round Paris buying the things she needs to complete the book, then we see her preparing the pages, mixing the paints, and completing the picture her father was working on. The story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations showing life in medieval Paris and details of illuminated manuscripts. This charming book is an ideal intoduction to the middle ages for children (especially girls) showing that there was more to the period than knights in armour and plague. A lovely and unusual book.

summery

600 years ago, Lady Isabelle of Paris ordered a book from Papa Jacques, a famous book maker and he has only three days left to finish it. However, Jaqueses' eyeglasses is broken. So Jaqueses' daughter, Marguerite finished the book for him. Margurite went to Master Raymond's house for gold leafs, a farm for parchment, the market for eggs, goose feathers,parsley, and a pot of honey, and finally the apothcary for dried saffron flowers, madder roots, a cake of vermilion, some wax, pine pitch, and some lapis lazuli stone. At her house, Marguerite prepared he pens and paint. Then Marguerite started to paint. On one page, which was decorated with Lady Isabelle's favorite daises Marguerite colored Lady Isabelle's robe and hair. When Isebelle came to check on the book, she was very impressed.

Maguerite Makes a Book

Wow, this book has the most beautiful illustrations I have seen in a long time! My daughter and I just love the story and the fold out pages! We have been inspired to do more digging into this topic. I am going to share this book with my Grade 2 and 3 art students. A definite must for little artists.

Story and Illustrations are wonderful

Both the story and illustrations in this book are wonderful. The story explains how books were illuminated. A fold out section explains how the different color paints were created. The story may be a little long for beginning listeners in a read aloud situation. The book has a glossary of technical terms that expands on the meaning given in the text. Inspired by a group of Parisian Manuscripts in the Getty Museum.