Gaspard is always up to something crazy and in this picture books, with bright painted colors, he steels a paddle boat while on vacation in Venice causing a ruckus throughout the historic town.

Good for early readers, k - 2

Gaspard visits Venice with his family. This one in the Gaspard and Lisa series seems to have more of a fantasy element than the others; Gaspard gets bored going from museum to museum, so he wanders off on his own, finds a gondola/kayak, steals it, causes an accident in the canals, attempts to evade the police, and is finally reunited with his family. I think the fantastical plot is really in service of showing the beautiful illustrations of the canals and scenery of Venice. It's a beautifully illustrated book with lots of amazing shades of blue. ( )