Twelve-year-old Ellie Taylor dreams of traveling the world. She wants to experience life, not read about it in a textbook. Forced to study boring paintings for an art history exam, she finds herself transported to 19th Century Paris and the world of the French Impressionists. There, Ellie befriends the famous American artist, Mary Cassatt, who needs help finding her runaway dog, Batty. Ellie chases the dog throughout the city, which also introduces her to such famous places as the Louvre museum, Notre Dame cathedral, and the Paris Opera House. In the end, Ellie discovers art is not dull, but rather filled with grand adventures to places she may never visit otherwise.