Geronimo Stilton Book 15: The Mona Mousa Code

ISBN-10: 0439661641
ISBN-13: 978-0439661645

Summary:
Do you like art? I do! So when Thea heard that there was a secret map hidden beneath Mouse Island's most famous painting, the Monamouse, I knew we had to get the scoop! Together we began to investigate, and soon we discovered secret clues that led us to the most fabumouse secret. And it all lay beneath the streets of New Mouse City!

Review: (Warning: Spoilers May follow)
My Rating: B+
The Mona Mouse finds Geronimo, Trap, Benjamin and Thea on the search for clues to help them discover the meaning of a message hidden behind one of Mouseland’s most famous paintings ,The Mona Mousa. With obvious reference to Dan Brown’s smash hit novel The Da Vinci Code, the trio find themselves getting to clues only to find that a mysterious stranger has beaten them to that very same clue each time. The clues reveal a secret word that lead them to a treasure trove no one could have expected.

I liked this book, it holds its sense of mystery quite well and will have younger readers guessing, not only the clues and what they lead to, but who the stranger may be. The clues are unravelled at a relatively slow pace so younger readers have a chance to solve the puzzles for themselves.

The mouse-centric references to artists and art movements in the human art world are great jumping off points to introduce these concepts into a young learner’s knowledge-base. Artists like Botticheddar and Jan Van Edam are introduced as well as The Mona Mousa itself and a painting of cans of cheese soup by artist Ratty Mousehol. Geronimo brings up the modern/traditional argument, commonly discussed amongst art fans, about the latter piece, saying “I’m not sure if I liked it but it did make me hungry.”

On the negative side, some minor points; Thea has a tendency to emotionally manipulate others she needs information from, including her boyfriend. I found this a little shallow and not the best representation of Thea’s strong character. Also the bickering between Trap and Geronimo can get a little tiresome at times, but no more so than the other books.

What I Learnt (The Extra Bits): There are no fact files in the book but see above for opportunities to open a discussion about art.

Non-Fiction Resources For Further Discussion:
Creativity Express CD-ROM: An Award winning and fun program featuring animated characters who guide students through the various concepts and phases of art creation and history. (Ages 7+) Visit their site to find out more: Creativity Express

Cave Paintings to Picasso: The Inside Scoop on 50 Art Masterpieces: A survey of 50 artworks to demonstrate the range of techniques and varieties of art in different times and cultures.

Fiction That Deals With similar subjects:
The Da Vinci Code:For parents you can of course delve into The Da Vinci Code if you are among the two or possibly three people not to have read the book, seen the movie or had someone reveal the end to you while sitting at a train station. (Ages 15+)

Art Dog: "Oh, no! Someone has stolen the Mona Woofa from the Dogopolis Museum of Art and the police don't even realize that they are barking up the wrong tree when they collar their number one suspect. So it's up to Art Dog, the mysterious, masked painter who roams the streets of Dogopolis, to find the missing masterpiece. Zip! Splash! Smoosh! He paints himself a Brushmobile, and he's off––on a wild and funny chase to capture the dastardly crooks." (Ages 4-8)

Where To Buy The Book
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