A young skateboarder finds himself headed for the art museum to fulfill a school assignment. He can think of a thousand things he would rather be doing--until a Degas picture whispers to him from the museum wall. There follows a painting by painting detective hunt as Degas' depicted characters reveal the secrets of their lives and times. This elegant, wonderfully illustrated book demonstrates that past masters and masterpieces need not be "dead" for young people. Viewed as a treasure trove of fascinating lore and legend, these paintings can catch the imagination of young people, motivating them to value the "rush" of great art as surely as they love the rush of jumping on their skateboards.