What could Signore Piero de' Medici want with Michelangelo on such a snowy day? That is what Sandro, the youngest page in the palazzo, wonders when he overhears that the ruler of Florence, Italy, has summoned the budding sculptor to his courtyard. Exploding with curiosity, Sandro roams the palazzo looking for his father, who surely would know the reason for such an odd request. From the loggia to the kitchen, from the chapel to the stable, Sandro searches, asking everyone if they've seen his father. Finally, when he feels there's no place left to look, Sandro hears a great commotion not too far away that could lead him to the solution of the mystery, as well as a wonderful surprise. Tony Parillo's lavish watercolors bring the Italian Renaissance to vivid life, combining a sense of historic realism with elements of composition inspired by the art of the period. Based on a true story chronicled in 1494, Michelangelo's Surprise introduces children to a proud era of history through the eyes of an enthusiastic young observer. - Jacket flap.

After a very heavy snowfall in Florence, Italy, Sandro, the youngest page in the palazzo of Piero De' Medici, tries to find out why the ruler has summoned the sculptor, Michelangelo.