"The career of artist Henri Rousseau gets a wonderfully child-friendly treatment in a book that captures both his personality and the essence of his pictures." – Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

"Strikes just the right tone...jaunty, confiding, and affectionate." – Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

A whimsical, inspiring picture book biography of the legendary 19th-century artist Henri Rousseau.

Henri Rousseau wants to be an artist. Not a single person has ever told him he is talented. He's a toll collector. He's forty years old. But he buys some canvas, paint, and brushes, and starts painting anyway.

Vivid text from award-winning author Michelle Markel (Tomfoolery), coupled with fanciful, inspired art from illustrator Amanda Hall (How the Sea Came to Be), paint a portrait of a man who dreams, creates, and perseveres, despite harsh criticism, leading to an unlikely and brilliant success with paintings hanging in the world's most important museums.
Includes author's and illustrator's notes.

A Junior Library Guild selection.