Chasing Vermeer

cover

Chasing Vermeer is a children's book by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist, illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events . An edition was issued in New York by Scholastic Press in 2003 with ISBN 0439372941.

In this art mystery, two sixth graders, Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay, are intertwined in the story by a series of unknown coincidences. These events continue, drawing them ever deeper into the theft of a Vermeer painting, A Lady Writing a Letter, en route from the National Gallery of Art (in Washington D.C.). The mathematical puzzle known as the pentomino plays a great role in the book, as well as emphasizing the admittedly empty spaces in the artist Johannes Vermeer's life.

Code

Throughout the book there is a code hidden throughout the pages. The code involves pentominoes and a particular animal. To decode the code you must count the number of frogs in each illustration, as well as the hidden pentomino. Once you have collected these facts you may use the code presented in the story that Calder and Tommy, main and secondary characters respectively, the number is the number of frogs in each illustration. When decoded it reads "The Lady Lives".

The next book in the series is The Wright 3.

File:Ladywriting.jpg

A Lady Writing a Letter, the painting upon which the book is based. Currently owned by the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

External links

• [1]

Scholastic's Official Website