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jennywithaz's review against another edition
3.0
This book has lovely illustrations, but not enough context into the lives of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, nor Stein's poetry, which is alluded to but not evoked. I think it would do better to pair this one with Jonah Winters' picture book Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude, which does a fabulous job of evoking Gertrude's writing and lifestyle, for context.
mandarchy's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet story about the writer Gertrude Stein and her friend Alice. I like their odd-coupleness and how Gertrude fails at cooking, but Babette still loves her.
cweichel's review
4.0
This book is delightfully charming. It is an imaginary vignette from the life of Alice Babette and Gertrude Stein. Alice wakes up on her birthday expecting a surprise, but it appears that Gertrude has forgotten. When she heads off for a walk through the streets of Paris, Gertrude gets to work to surprise Alice by cooking her favourite foods and writing her a special poem. Unfortunately, after the food is cooking, Gertrude gets lost in her poetry writing and the meal ends in a disaster.
Qin Leng's beautiful watercolour illustrations capture the essence of Paris and the characters of the two women.
I only wish that their relationship was more fully acknowledged. Kulling refers to them as friends. Even in the end notes where she says they lived together in Paris for forty years, there is no mention of it. I don't understand this and have to question why she didn't refer to them as partners or even spouses.
Qin Leng's beautiful watercolour illustrations capture the essence of Paris and the characters of the two women.
I only wish that their relationship was more fully acknowledged. Kulling refers to them as friends. Even in the end notes where she says they lived together in Paris for forty years, there is no mention of it. I don't understand this and have to question why she didn't refer to them as partners or even spouses.
ginnylambda's review
4.0
Super charming. I wish there was any level of allusion that they were a couple and not just 'friends' but if this is what it takes to get a picture book about Alice and Gertrude published, welp.
jennywithaz's review
3.0
This book has lovely illustrations, but not enough context into the lives of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, nor Stein's poetry, which is alluded to but not evoked. I think it would do better to pair this one with Jonah Winters' picture book Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude, which does a fabulous job of evoking Gertrude's writing and lifestyle, for context.
lawralthelibrarian's review
3.0
Echoing many reviewers before me, this is a charming book. Or it would have been if it did not paint Alice and Gertrude as "friends."
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