Washington was reluctant to have his portrait painted, and Gilbert Stuart had to work had to get a good likeness. That's really all there is to the story, but the unusual illustrations by Stacy Innerst add some interest. Probably a good read for history buffs, or anyone curious about the portrait used on the dollar bill.

The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart's Brush with George Washington by Sarah Albee is very interesting, yet sad tale of the man who painted one of the most famous paintings of George Washington. I think The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart's Brush with George Washington would be neat for young kids to read while learning about George Washington. I thought it was cool to learn about Gilbert Stuart, but just sad given how his life turned out. At the same time, it's a story that we need to know about. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

It’s always a good day when I find another picture book to read to my little children which teaches them about another little bit of history. The combination of the beautiful artwork in most of these books, and a fun story about a real event or person makes a book that is irresistible to my children—and to me! My most recent find was The Painter and the President. Of course, I knew that George Washington had his picture painted by Gilbert Stuart—what American doesn’t know that?—but how did it happen?

As with most picture book biographies, The Painter and the President has beautiful, full-color paintings for illustrations. It does not tell the whole story of either George Washington’s or Gilbert Stuart’s life, but only the time where their lives intersected, the time when Stuart was painting Washington’s portrait—which was never finished, by the way! I really enjoyed learning about this story. At the end of the book is a timeline which includes the important dates for both men. This book is a wonderful supplement to any study of early American history.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

This nonfiction picture book teaches kids about Gilbert Stuart's career as an artist and his experiences with George Washington, who hated to have his portrait painted. The text is lively and entertaining without being sarcastic or disrespectful, and even though I thought that the illustrations were a bit drab at first, they fit well with the story and also convey humor. This book shares a snippet of American history in a way that will appeal to both kids and adults, and this would be a great supplement to a school study on George Washington.

I have to admit that I never gave much thought to the painters of presidents’ portraits, so I’m glad I checked this out and learned about Gilbert Stuart! With unique illustrations and a wonderful sense of humor, this book tells the story of how Stuart achieved his most famous artworks — and how ornery George Washington *finally* had a portrait done that he was pleased with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Calkins Creek for an ARC of this picture book. This is a wonderful story of Gilbert Stuart, George Washington, and a portrait. Told with beautiful illustrations, primary source artwork, and easy to understand text this picture book is a great way to introduce readers to the power of art and portraits. Sarah Albee includes definitions of words and adds historical context in a concise way that does not take away from the flow of the story. I also love the timeline, historical notes, bibliography, and source notes included at the end of the book. This would be a perfect read aloud for students in any classroom.

In this brief look at how Gilbert Stuart painted the portrait of George Washington, readers learn about the personalities of both men and how, in spite of Washington’s discomfort with sitting for a portrait, Stuart did what he could to make him comfortable. In the end, Stuart managed to paint the portrait we see on the dollar bill. Informative, well-written text is supported by illustrations that help make the story come alive. This is an enjoyable, informative read for young historians.

Gilbert Stuart painted several portraits of George Washington, and this describes their meeting and unusual relationship. Stuart liked to talk and tell jokes while painting but Washinton often didn’t have the patience for those conversations. The text focuses on the portrait Stuart did that is used on the dollar bill, so this is more a vignette in their lives and not much more. The acrylic illustrations have an impressionistic style that is quite different from Stuart’s realistic portrait style, but adds humor. Back matter includes replicas of other Presidential portraits Stuart painted, a timeline, bibliography, source notes, and author’s note.

I knew I was going to like this book as soon as I turned to the opening pages and say the illustrator's drawing of Washington looking like he'd rather be just about anywhere rather sitting in that artist's studio. As it turned out, my reaction was right. He'd have rather been out riding than sitting in that chair. In fact, this was his second brush with artist Stuart and he hadn't enjoyed the first, either. But, like Stuart, he did understand the power of art.

And, so the sitting began. Stuart, known for his easy manner, after a shaky first session, eventually found ways to relax his subject. That worked and eventually we got the painting we're now familiar with on our dollar bills. The book explains why that rendering is facing the opposite direction, not to mention that Gilbert Stuart would go on to paint the next five presidents, too. The illustrations are fun and I liked the illustrator's interpretation of Stuart's style and colors. One of the things I found most interesting, one that added a great deal of information, was the timeline included at the end that combined Stuart and Washington's lives into one timeline, showing where each was at different times in their lives. The author also includes a solid list of selected books for more information and source notes.

Bottom line, an interesting, fun read that reveals a side of George Washington few know. I liked learning a bit about his human side, so to speak, as opposed to the engraved image his time with Stuart would produce. Teachers, in particular, should find this a welcome addition to their history shelves and, for that matter, those with an interest in art history should enjoy it, too. You do learn about Stuart as a human, too, not just as an artist. Thanks #NetGalley and #AstraPublishingHouse - #CalkinsCreek for introducing me to both of these men (and Martha) as real people, not just names in a history book.

A great historical picture book for older children! The modern references (like the "selfie") will draw children's interest in the story. The story gives a very interesting insight to what life was like before photography, which is a concept that many students would not have considered. The explanation of how the portrait is used on the dollar bill is very interesting as well.

The Painter and the President is a cute insight into our former president. I enjoyed the little stories about George Washington and the others that Gilbert painted. The illustrations were beautiful and captured the story well.

This is an informational book about Gilbert Stuart, the famed painter of various presidential portraits, including the one of George Washington on the dollar bill. Kids will enjoy hearing about how he got people to pose for such lengthy amounts of time.

Sarah Albee does a fantastic job of showing the personality and desires of two important people in history. This story is a treat! I highly recommend this book for art teachers when doing a unit on Portraits. What a wonderful way to learn about an unknown figure who changed the world in a small, yet profound way.

This is a clever concept, but it definitely feels more like a childrens book for adults, as neither the art or the content is likely to be appealing to younger children.

My kids are a bit too old for this type of book, which is structured more like a picture book for very young children, though the content appears more aimed at their age group. It just makes it difficult to understand what the audience for this is, as it’s content and structure/simplicity aren’t a match.

For the most part I don’t think the art in this is great. It’s a bit on the, um, painterly side, and a touch impressionistic, which of course doesn’t align at all with Stuart’s style.

I love the picture books that are coming out these days, that give delightful stories of people that we should know about, but don’t. This one is about the famous painting on the one dollar American bill. You probably have seen it, and not thought much more about it than identifying it for what it is.

But apparently Gilbert Stuart was quite famous in his day. He not only painted the famous portrait of Washington, but all five other American presidents as well.

Apparently George Washington would have preferred to not be painted, and Gilbert did everything he could do to relax him, and found that if he talked about horses, that would make Washington relax.

He left the painting unfinished, and then made copies that he sold, to make a living. Unfortunately, he was not good with his money, when he died his wife couldn't even afford a headstone for him, so he was buried in an unmarked grave.

With great pictures, and humor, this is a wonderful picture book to introduce not only the personality of Gilbert, but also how things were done, a little over 200 years ago.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 27th of August 2024.

I recommend this book on one shelf in my TrueStory Bookshop:
True Stories~Artists
https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray

I was as history major in college, and also taught preschool so this book was SO fun at our house! I can't wait to read it again to my kids when i purchase a real copy. Such a fun storyline behind it.

This was a fun and interesting read about the artist, Gilbert Stuart painted George Washington's famous portrait. I really enjoyed learning about Gilbert Stuart and his ways of painting his subjects. I love learning about new-to-me people and I found it interesting to learn about someone who was instrumental in making history. At the back of the book, you can find a timeline about Gilbert Stuart and George Washington, as well as list of other presidents that Stuart painted, and a bibliography. Overall, this was a great read and the illustrations were awesome.

As a homeschool mom, this book has everything that I look for to complement the curriculum I use and keep my child engaged. My 1st grader is learning all about George Washington and this book does such a great job at showing the historical parts of his life (Mt. Vernon, Valley Forge), but also the human parts like his apprehension at having his portrait drawn, problems with his teeth, etc. My daughter was fascinated. The illustrations are fun and beautiful combining history with today. I hope to see more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I loved the jaunty, mildly cubist art style of this book. The text was the perfect length for younger elementary students. Albee did a great job humanizing the president, too; I find romanticized, saintly depictions of the founding fathers very tiring, but I also dislike texts that only tear them down. Albee does a nice balancing act here and Washington comes through as just a human thrust into a prominent position.