I really enjoyed this book. As someone that didn't know much about Gertrude Stein, I felt like it taught the reader about her personal life instead of just the writing aspect that is what most people know.

Also, bringing up the little details about her life made her seem more human and approachable in a way.

I think this is a great book to read for children to start to learn about Gertrude Stein and hope that there are more books like this to get people to learn about the lives of others.

What an interesting little book! I admit to not knowing much about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas before reading this, and this was a wonderful introduction. Their story is captured in an engaging, age-appropriate manner, and I appreciated how it makes art feel accessible rather than something stuffy that only exists in museums. The free verse text and whimsical illustrations make this flow well, and the after material - a timeline of Stein and Toklas' lives, "snapshots," sources, and an author's note about why Stein's art collection didn't end up in the hands of the Nazis, though speculatively of course - adds additional insight. Additionally, this book has inspired me to pick up The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, which I'm really looking forward to! So, yeah, I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

#NetGalley

Beautiful and really informative book about the lives of Gertrude Stein and her partner, Alice B. Toklas.The illustrations are beautiful and really charming and it's perfect for children because it's an easy and cute story. There are a lot of details and a lot of information but i think it's pretty easy to read and to absorb. A really unique read!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was a surprisingly interesting little book about Gertrude Stein and her partner. I think I would have liked to have had this book when my children were in early grade school years.

A portrait in Poems offers a close look at the relation and story of two greats- Gertrude Steins and Alice B Toklas. Aimed at children the book is visually really very appealing. The words though are difficult for a child to comprehend in their true depth. I think it would make for a good read after you have introduced the child to the ideas and personalities of these remarkable women and made the kids understand why their life story is relevant.

Even as an adult, I highly enjoyed this book. I think the author’s goal of introducing Getrude and Alice’s lives to the readers was met. I had no idea who they were before picking this book up. Learning about who they were and what their lives were like was interesting, especially because of how it was told. It made me curious enough to want to read more about them and their own works as both Gertrude and Alice were writers themselves. The illustrations were beautiful and vibrant, I could easily see children enjoying the graphics. It also mentioned wanting to spark the interest of children on paintings and poems and I can easily see how this book could have that influence. And I would like to read this book to my future kids and/or nieces with the hope that they will be interested in poetry and/or paintings as well after reading this.

A Portrait in Poems gives appreciation to paintings and poems, pretty much like Gertrude Steins and Alice B Toklas themselves. As someone who likes poetry and paintings as well, I definitely enjoyed this book. I was just delighted and in awe most of the time. It was pretty short but nonetheless enjoyable. I recommend this to children and even adults like me who appreciate poetry and paintings.

I felt this book was more about the art than the lives of the characters. I wanted more about their influence.

This is a whimsical little picture book that tells the story of Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas, along with their time in Paris with friends like Picaso. It is supposedly told in poems but it just reads like a children's book for the most part. Don't go looking for rhymes or obvious word play. The stories are entertaining and you get a real feel for these entirely unconventional, remarkable women and their life together. Quotes and short poems by Stein are included, as is a timeline, additional reading and more.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

My Thoughts
This is a very uniquely styled biography with a distinct Parisian feel. Rachel Katsaller’s illustrations are charmingly whimsical and colorful with details to delight the readers that effortlessly enhance Evie Robillard’s freestyle verse that flows smoothly across the pages.

I loved how Stein’s quotes and poems are interspersed throughout, adding a unique and fun touch to the book. This is a perfect start to introduce young readers to these fascinating women. It will also make them curious about art, literature, history, and of course, Paris!!



I learned a lot that I had not known before, like how Picasso worked on a portrait of Stein for months and then scrapped it because he couldn’t “see her” (Stein) anymore when he looked at the painting.

From the very first lines, “The next time you go to Paris, you might visit this big green spot”(and even before, actually), to the author’s note at the end, this book delights and informs!

Note
While the age-range says 6 – 9 years, it is text heavy for the youngest readers so can be used as a read-aloud for them, while it will easily for older kids too (and adults as well!!)

In Summary
Picture perfect poetic portrait!! That means, yes, I recommend this one:)

<a href="https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/">Check my blog - LadyInReadWrites - for more reviews</a>

A charming illustrated book about Gertrude and Alice (and Basket!), lovely portrait of their life together in Paris. I appreciated that it recognized Gertrude's life as a writer as well as an art collector -- often folks will focus on one at the expense of the other. I thought the author did a good job of picking vignettes for each chapter that were simple but illustrative. One challenge, I think, is knowing what age of child the book is aimed at and appropriate for. I think that sophisticated kids books sometimes feel like they're intended for the adults instead, and that makes it a challenge to recommend appropriately.

I honestly picked this book because of that beautiful cover, and then the summary called for two women, a dog and arts. Yes to all of these.
Inside? it was so much fun! It's obviously a short summary of their lives, but it made me searched about them. I always love how by reading kids books as an adult, you can yet learn something new :) Just love the feeling ya know?
Anyway, I think this book would be a cute additional to your kids library. But maybe it needs a specific kids to read be interested in it? I am not sure :)

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading poetry and have been trying to read more, which is why this book caught my eye. I enjoyed the illustrations and the poems that told Gertrude Stein’s story.

This would be a great book to have in my classroom as a mentor text.

A Portrait in Poems by Evie Robillard is a lovely book about Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, along with their many artistic friends. It has a very Parisian feel, with beautiful illustrations and a light style. Such a great collection of poems as well! I really enjoy picture book biographies, and this one did not disappoint! It's a great introduction to these women, and makes me want to learn more about them.

Lovely illustrations and a sweet, soft version of these women’s lives. Outdoor have liked more explicit queer language and acknowledgment, but it’s still a good start.

This delightful picture book biography provides an introduction to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, along with their many artistic acquaintances . Written in free verse, it oozes with Parisian flavor enhanced by the charming illustrations. Young readers will meet up with these two famous friends at later points in their education, but for a first glimpse, this story is perfect!

The cover of this book as well as the subject matter drew me in. Having read the book, i now want to find out more about Stein and the circumstances around her time in Paris. The colour palette and stylised illustrations were a visual pleasure for me, softening what felt like an underlying darker, unspoken history. Addressing the reader loaned a charming touch and several quirky features pointed to the unconventional, unique lifestyle portrayed. I didn't particularly warm to the characters, although I love the way that high art rubbed along with mundane domesticity. I was disappointed by the language, eagerly anticipating the poetic story-telling promised. To me, the text was clumsy at times. I loved the quotations through the text - these brought Stein to life for me. Is this appropriate for 6-9 year olds? For me, it misses the mark. I feel older students might appreciate it as an introduction to the life and influence of Gertrude Stein.

This was a very cute little collection of poems.
When I saw this book online I was immediatly drawn to ot because of the art style. It was so soft and yet so fascinating.

I read the poems and they started of very fun. Introduction of the characters, where they lived. And I love how they put the little french hints in it to make it somewhat romantic. Halfway through so to say at the Pablo Picasso point I thought it got quite dull and a bit boring. However the story was wrapped up nicely and I just couldn't get over the cute and soft illustrations.

Definitely would buy this book if I saw it in the shops here.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read 😁

I am and always will be a sucker for picture book biographies - especially about artists and artistic people. These are my roots and I shall not be uprooted. This was a sweet and charming introduction to Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas and the early 20th Century French avant-garde. Charming illustrations bless the pages of this book and seeing an artist's renderings of familiar and legendary sights in Paris was delightful. I am sad, on behalf of young readers, that there are not photographs of the artworks mentioned included in this book as backmatter, but I hope they will seek them out.

I rarely read biography and this book is really entertaining

The illustration is cute, the color tone is nice, the story is smooth. It even made me curious about Ms Stein and dig more info from internet.

I love how the author give information about a person, and doing it so nicely that we want to know more. Good job.

I love this. I am always searching out "new to me" poets, and with April being National Poetry month, this was the perfect find. If you love Paris, no matter what your age, I think you'll love A Portrait in Poems.