Publisher: Holiday House
Format Read: E-book
Number of pages: 192 pages
Published: September 2nd, 2025
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss +
Opening Lines: "It was a Saturday back in October when I found the doodle."
While shopping with his parents at a flea market, Edwin Hodge spots a signed poster of Kobe Bryant, priced for a mere ten dollars. Hoping to beat out his classmate, Vinnie, who's also eyeing the poster, Edwin quickly buys it. Back home, he discovers a hidden doddle tucked behind the frame. The next day at school, during show-and-tell, Edwin's art teacher notices the drawing's distinctive style resembles the work of Pablo Picasso. She urges Edwin and his parents to have it professionally appraised. The story then shifts to 1911, recounting the infamous theft of the Mona Lisa. Picasso was detained and questioned in connection with the crime, and according to legend, he even sketched a doddle during that time.
The story then returns to Edwin as news of his discovery goes viral. Soon he's bombarded with interview requests, strangers show up at his door asking for money, and the original seller from the flea market reappears offering $10,000 to buy back the poster. Hoping to get the artwork appraised, Edwin and his parents travel to Chicago, where they find an art auction house interested in selling the piece. But, as things spin out of control, Edwin devises a bold plan to stage a public shredding of the artwork and sell access to the livestream, even offering pieces of the shredded remains for purchase. As the final moment arrives and Edwin prepares to feed the artwork into the shredder, the story ends on a cliffhanger. This leaves the reader with one burning question, what would you do?
The Picasso Curse was such a fun read! At first, it feels like Edwin won the lottery, but the discovery of a valuable piece of art brings unexpected pressures and complications. It truly feels like he's been cursed. I really appreciated how Edwin remained cautious and questions people's motives, even though his family could use the money. I especially enjoyed the back matter at the beginning of the book, which dives into the historical theft of the Mona Lisa. I was also stunned to learn about the recent heist at the Louvre Museum where thieves stole $102 million in jewels from the early-to-mid-19th century. Gutman enriches the story with real-life examples of people who've stumbled upon hidden treasures and there are historical photographs, reproductions of the Mona Lisa and other fascinating illustrations. Overall, this was a wonderful blend of fact and fiction.
I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE
**A huge thank you to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.**
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