Madame Martine Breaks the Rules

Madame Martine Breaks the Rules written and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen (2015)

Madame Martine and her dog Max go on a different adventure every Saturday. Their friend Louis, a guard at the Louvre Museum in Paris, invites them to visit him there, but Madame Martine refuses because they do not allow dogs in the museum. Then one Saturday, Max gets loose and runs toward the museum. Louis and Madame Martine chase him. They catch him inside the museum, Madame Martine wants to leave before they get caught too, but Louis insists that they must first see some of the fine artwork before they leave. As it turns out, they are stopped by another guard who says that they could bend the rules for a friend of Louis’. Madame Martine is still shaken and insists that they go somewhere dogs are allowed. The next weekend, they all go on a hot air balloon ride over the countryside.

Max is a tiny dog, one you might see in a grocery store or at the post office. But why do you think dogs are not allowed in some public places? What kind of damage might a dog, even a little one like Max, do in a museum? This story is the perfect opportunity to discuss the reasons for many rules in our society.

Look up some famous pieces of art that can only be found in museums around the world. Can you reproduce your own artwork based on the masters?

Andy Worhol

Pablo Picasso

Wassily KandinskyJackson Pollock