Two related stories from history alternate in this lively account centered on the painting Mona Lisa. The primary narrative documents the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and the subsequent investigation, which failed to find the culprits or the work of art. It was this theft and the media and public response that transformed the Mona Lisa into what is now a ubiquitous element of our cultural consciousness. Interstitial chapters focus on Leonardo Da Vinci, highlighting his brilliant and curious mind, his talent as an artist, his many interests, and how unlikely it was that he came to paint a portrait of a woman named Lisa Gherardini in the early 16th century. The author’s style is friendly, funny, and forthright, directly acknowledging readers and offering occasional but matter-of-fact call-outs of sexism and racism when relevant to the story (such as the very limited options for Lisa Gherardini as a woman in 16th-century Florence), and also revealing how quickly rumors and false narratives become accepted as fact—a truth from history that’s also highly relevant today. Occasional illustrations are likely to appeal to skilled younger readers who may be engaged by the narrative but intimidated by its length in a book that also has rich potential for classroom use. (Age 10 and older)