Nature’s Friend: The Gwen Frostic Story

Gwen Frostic was just a baby when she had an awful disease that weakened her hands and left her struggling to follow her older brothers and sisters as they ran and played around the countryside. But she kept going. She had trouble in school as well, and her hands were not strong enough to write at first. But she kept going. The other kids were always making fun of her, and she hated the stares and snickers. But she kept going. And nature was always her friend. Follow Gwen’s life as she moves to Detroit, takes art lessons, starts a successful business, designs airplanes, learns to embrace her differences, and becomes an artist, recreating the nature she loves.

Gwen Frostic was not just a world-famous artist, she was a truly remarkable person. She overcame obstacles and did things no one could have expected. This book does her credit. I loved the illustrations; they were so beautiful and colorful, and I also loved that there was often a quote from Gwen herself at the bottom of the page. There were more facts about her in the back, but the book itself does not contain many details; it just goes through a basic outline of this artist’s life. It is a wonderful story, with large pictures that will probably keep younger people entertained if the text doesn’t. I thought it was a great book and enjoyed it. However, I did find myself wanting more information. If you are looking for that, you may not want this book. But I loved the idea of a picture-book biography.

If you are looking for an encouraging story about nature, art, and the life of a woman who was a friend of the forest, read this book. If not, well, read it anyway. I wouldn’t want you to miss out.