Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A white-cued 12-year-old faces the surprise of a lifetime when he discovers a lost work by Pablo Picasso in this cinematic novel by Gutman (the My Weirdtastic School series). Edwin Hodge isn't thrilled when his parents drag him to the Woodside flea market, until he spies a framed, autographed poster of Kobe Bryant. Figuring it could be worth something--and eager to one-up school bully Vinnie, who claims he had dibs on it first--Edwin purchases and returns home with his find. It's then that he uncovers a Picasso drawing hidden in the frame. Now, Edwin finds himself torn. The money he could make by auctioning the artwork--which "found its way from France in 1911 to an Illinois flea market more than a hundred years later"--would help his financially struggling family. But when word gets out about the priceless artifact, Edwin must determine if maintaining possession of the treasure is worth the headache that comes with it. Brief, fourth-wall-breaking chapters dive into the history and lore of Picasso, an information free-for-all that Gutman delivers with his signature snark and panache. Propulsive and entertaining, this is an exciting adventure of complex ethical questions and derring-do that centers topics such as decision-making and independence. Ages 8--12. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--An entertaining roller-coaster ride that combines Gutman's trademark humor and love of history. Who hasn't dreamed of making a fortune from a flea market find? When Edwin, almost 13, discovers an original Picasso drawing hidden behind a Kobe Bryant poster he buys for $10 at a flea market, it threatens to ruin his life. Edwin's engaging tale is briefly interrupted by an unnamed narrator that explains how the so-called doodle originated almost 100 years before it ended up in the flea market. After an auction house offers to sell the authenticated painting, everything begins to go wrong for Edwin, and he's convinced he's cursed. A tornado blows away the lockbox where the painting is stored. He's interviewed by a local TV reporter about the painting and is relentlessly hounded by the press as a result. The flea-market dealer who sold him the poster offers $10,000 to buy it back. Edwin's phone may be tapped, his house is broken into, and someone threatens to burn it down. When the auction house reneges on the deal, Edwin is so fed up he decides to burn the painting, until his Picasso-loving art-computer teacher has a brilliant but bonkers idea instead. Gutman's story will keep readers guessing, as Edwin grapples with tough decisions and the pitfalls of sudden wealth. VERDICT Readers will eagerly join Edwin in this twisty, action-packed story that throws in a dollop of financial literacy and art history for good measure.--Sharon Rawlins
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A small drawing hidden in a picture frame upends an Illinois 12-year-old's life with the prospect of untold wealth. Edwin, who reads white, dislikes making hard decisions. That's unfortunate, since the scrap of paper that falls out of a framed Kobe Bryant poster he buys at a flea market for $10 turns out to be an unsigned but possibly authentic Picasso drawing worth millions. What will he do with it? Alternatives proliferate, particularly after his story goes national and even trends on TikTok. Edwin and his unemployed parents are besieged by interested parties--and even targeted by a burglar. Edwin's decision-making is further complicated once he learns of the surprising number of Picasso's friends and family members who died prematurely due to a supposed "curse," causing him a sleepless night of worry. An author less inclined to gleefully torture his readers might have tidily settled Edwin's quandary by the end; instead, Gutman leaves his bewildered protagonist at the very moment of choice to ask them whatthey would do and offers sympathetic observations about "decision anxiety." For extra kicks, as part of a scenario explaining how the (fictive) drawing came to be created and then traveled to America, the author concludes with a historical note about the true story of the young Picasso's alleged involvement with the 1911 theft of theMona Lisafrom the Louvre. Fun and challenging.(Adventure. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
