 Chasing Vermeer is a 2004 children 's art mystery novel written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist . Set in Hyde Park , Chicago near the University of Chicago , the novel follows two children , Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee . After a famous Johannes Vermeer painting is stolen on route to the Art Institute of Chicago , Calder and Petra work together to try to recover it . The thief publishes many advertisements in the newspaper , explaining that he will give the painting back if the community can discover which paintings under Vermeer 's name were really painted by him . This causes Petra , Calder , and the rest of Hyde Park to examine art more closely . Themes of art , chance , coincidence , deception , and problem @-@ solving are apparent . 
 Chasing Vermeer <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>a 2004 children <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>art mystery novel written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist . Set in Hyde Park , Chicago near the University of Chicago , the novel <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>follows</mark></a> two children , Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee . After a famous Johannes Vermeer painting is stolen on route to the Art Institute of Chicago , Calder and Petra work together to try to recover it . The thief <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>publishes</mark></a> many advertisements in the newspaper , explaining that he will give the painting back if the community can discover which paintings under Vermeer <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>name <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> really painted by him . This <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>causes</mark></a> Petra , Calder , and the rest of Hyde Park to examine art more closely . Themes of art , chance , coincidence , deception , and problem @-@ solving <a href='drop_aux' title='8'><mark>are</mark></a>apparent . 
Chasin Vermeer a 2004 children  art mystery novel written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist . Set in Hyde Park , Chicago near the University of Chicago , the novel follow two children , Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee . After a famous Johannes Vermeer painting is stolen on route to da Art Institute of Chicago , Calder and Petra work together to try to recover it . The thief publish many advertisements in the newspaper , explaining that he will give the painting bk if tdacommunity can discover which paintings under Vermeer  name was really painted by him . dis cause Petra , Calder , and the rest of Hyde Park to examine art more closely . Themes of art , chance , coincidence , deception , and problem @-@ solving apparent .