Starred Review An artist creates a still life that includes an assortment of objects such as fruit, cheese, a jar of jam, a bottle of ink, a dollhouse castle, a candle, and thread. The artist's self-importance and knowing facial expressions convey his pompous attitude wonderfully, and as he repeatedly proclaims, "In a still life, nothing moves," young readers will enjoy arguing back when the images contradict the narrative. This clever juxtaposition of text and illustrations defies expectations about what might happen next. The artist proclaims that no mice will nibble the cheese or taste the jam (although the reader can see the trespassers), that there is not a dragon, knight, or princess near that castle, and if there were, a princess would not help the dragon fight off the knight! Zelinsky started with an actual black-pencil drawing, then colored and altered it digitally to create a basic still-life painting with a traditional appearance at the beginning. As more details are added, the art styles vary to highlight the visual adventure unfolding despite the artist's best attempts to deny its existence. Humorously creative, this book subtly teaches children how to look at individual elements of a work of art and to consider how the details combine and contribute to an image or story. Great fun for older readers to consider the contrasts and for younger readers to simply enjoy.

A canvas depicting an assemblage of items on a tablecloth comes to life, upending traditional assumptions surrounding artistic conventions.The book's narrator-an earnest, light-skinned artist with curly, salt-and-pepper hair-announces, "This is a still life. A painting of objects sitting still. In a still life, nothing moves." A close-up reveals succulent fruit, a quill pen and an inkwell, and a castlelike dollhouse. In contrast to the painter and other characters, rendered as bright, flat caricatures, the painting is portrayed with a range of colors, subtle shading, soft texture, and a wealth of detail. As the artist continues with inspired musings about stillness, two mice appear and run inside the painting. The narrator urges readers to ignore the "jammy footprints" emerging from an open jar within the painting. Next, a dragon steps forth; the painter stresses that such creatures don't belong "in this sort of painting." Then a valiant knight arrives to slay the dragon, and a tan-skinned princess appears on the dollhouse's throne. Zelinsky's hilarious, action-packed scenes-a combination of hand drawing and digital work-contrast with the narrator's serious admonitions not to acknowledge the dragon's desperate plea for help, nor to pay any attention as the princess uses a spool of thread to zip-line down to join the ensuing chaos. Readers will be left with plenty to laugh-and learn-about as the artist exits.A superb example of text and image telling opposing stories-and of the humor that can be found in the intersection. (Picture book. 4-6)

A canvas depicting an assemblage of items on a tablecloth comes to life, upending traditional assumptions surrounding artistic conventions.The book's narrator-an earnest, light-skinned artist with curly, salt-and-pepper hair-announces, "This is a still life. A painting of objects sitting still. In a still life, nothing moves." A close-up reveals succulent fruit, a quill pen and an inkwell, and a castlelike dollhouse. In contrast to the painter and other characters, rendered as bright, flat caricatures, the painting is portrayed with a range of colors, subtle shading, soft texture, and a wealth of detail. As the artist continues with inspired musings about stillness, two mice appear and run inside the painting. The narrator urges readers to ignore the "jammy footprints" emerging from an open jar within the painting. Next, a dragon steps forth; the painter stresses that such creatures don't belong "in this sort of painting." Then a valiant knight arrives to slay the dragon, and a tan-skinned princess appears on the dollhouse's throne. Zelinsky's hilarious, action-packed scenes-a combination of hand drawing and digital work-contrast with the narrator's serious admonitions not to acknowledge the dragon's desperate plea for help, nor to pay any attention as the princess uses a spool of thread to zip-line down to join the ensuing chaos. Readers will be left with plenty to laugh-and learn-about as the artist exits.A superb example of text and image telling opposing stories-and of the humor that can be found in the intersection. (Picture book. 4-6)