Between Flowers and Bones by Carolyn Leiloglou

Between Flowers and Bones continues The Restorationists adventure series, in which members of a family are gifted with the ability to travel through works of art.

Between Flowers and Bones by Carolyn Leiloglou. WaterBrook, 2024, 240 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-12

Vincent is a gifted young artist—but more than that, he is an Artist. Meaning, he has the ability to create art within art. That’s because he’s also a Traveler, able to enter any painting, anywhere, and travel through an intermediate corridor to any other painting. His cousin Georgia is a Traveler and a Navigator, who can chart routes and circuits through museums all over the world. Their grandfather doesn’t travel, but he’s a Restorer who repairs damaged art, and Georgia’s parents are Appraisers who determine where the damage is. These “Restorationists” have one mission: to restore art to its original God-glorifying purpose and thwart the Distortionists who seek to corrupt it.

In Beneath the Swirling Sky, Vincent discovered his calling and mission while rescuing his kidnapped little sister Lily. He couldn’t have done it without Georgia, but the family has been heaping praise on Vincent ever since, and Georgia is feeling like a poor relation. She’s worked all her life at developing her Navigator skills, and now it seems her cousin has waltzed in and reaped all the rewards. Her resentment grows, blinding her to danger signs and alienating her from family members. When a rematch with the family’s arch-enemy looms, Georgia runs smack into her limitations. But maybe that’s not so bad. As a new friend wisely advises her, “We’re all made from the same clay, but not from the same mold.” Only by accepting her limits can she rise above them. Or as Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

The underlying theme of the series is a worthy and ambitious one: Art is meant to serve a higher purpose than its mere existence. Each volume features several actual works of art and one central artist—Van Gogh in Swirling Sky (as in Van Gogh’s Starry Night) and Georgia O’Keefe in Flowers and Bones (referring to the artist’s signature subjects). The characters’ frame-jumping adventures take them to famous (and not-so-famous) museums in the US and Europe, sometimes one after the other at breakneck speed. While waiting for the next installment of the series it might be fun to visit some of these museums (and paintings) via the internet.

Bottom Line: A fun adventure with a healthy dose of art appreciation thrown in.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: See our Art and the Picture Book booklist.
• Review: Wanderlost is another “jumping into” adventure, where the protagonists belong to a family with the mysterious ability to enter board games.
• Review: Boost your art appreciation with An Eye for Art.

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