A pitch-perfect picture book about Gertrude Stein's life in Paris focuses on her art collection, her writing, her famous Salon, and her relationship with Alice B. Toklas. Not a word is wasted in this engaging, masterful account. Wisconsin author Robillard's well-rounded portrait of Stein (and Toklas, too) includes just the right excerpts from Stein's writing to give readers a sense of her singular style, her wit, her Steiny-ness. The gouache and colored pencil illustrations flawlessly echo the tone of the poems that comprise the text-both playful and profound, rather like Stein and Toklas themselves. They also extend the sense of place that was so important to Stein and her kindred spirits: Paris, specifically 27 rue de Fleurus "...a place that was once filled with paintings- / bright, bold, wild, impossible paintings. / And in that place lived a woman named Gertrude Stein / and her brother Leo. / And later on, her partner, Alice." (Ages 5-9)

A delightful introduction to one of the most influential figures of twentieth-century art and literature. Here’s an insider’s tour of the lives of Gertrude Stein and her partner, Alice B. Toklas, amusingly addressed directly to the reader (“The next time you go to Paris …”). It explores Gertrude and Alice’s art collection, their famous writer and artist friends and even their dog, Basket. It also describes how Gertrude’s book The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas was not about Alice, but more about Gertrude herself! A celebration of creativity and the creative process, this innovative and readable biography champions two women who dared to live unconventional lives. Poems, paintings and Paris come to life in this enchanting book.