Press

“In her Illustrator’s Afterword, Stone begins with some good ideas for children and teachers. As she says, this is a poem but “This is also a story!” By adding a visual narrative she changed the words into something entirely new. Aiding teachers everywhere, she suggests taking lines from this poem to make “Poetry Comics”, as she calls them. That’s a great idea, but why not go further? Why not have kids do an entirely different interpretation of the whole poem? Or suggest other poems that they might turn into their own books? When I mentioned earlier the idea of taking Stein’s poems and having a different artist do each one (paging Calef Brown, Maira Kalman, Javaka Steptoe, etc.) that idea works just as well in an assignment with kids too. But don’t limit yourself! Find new ways to mix and meld poetry and art. You could turn this book into an entire poetry and art unit, given the right creative spark. Take classic paintings and assign them to lines of this poem! Take one line of it and make all the kids do a piece of art in any medium that brings it personally to life. So many possibilities.”—Betsy Bird, Fuse 8 Productions, a School Library Journal blog.

“A Little Called Pauline pairs Bianca Stone’s intricately animated images with Stein’s delectable word mouthfuls. It’s a wonder. There is the delight of discovery on every page—peer at what Pauline is typing on a typewriter, examine the tiny Polaroids, track a bat flying to market in sunglasses. Because of this book, I hope to overhear a child saying, ‘a little lace makes boils’ and their parent responding, ‘This is not true’.”—Matthea Harvey, author of five books of poetry as well as two children’s books, Cecil the Pet Glacier and The Little General and the Giant Snowflake.

“A challenging and pleasurable book that little readers and their grown-ups can get lost and found in as they laugh at the silly lyrical sounds that Stone coaxes into something akin to sense…a true delight!”—Jennifer L. Miller, PhD, Raise Them Righteous

“As words and pictures sometimes sync up and sometimes mischievously thwart easy connection, readers may feel they’ve traveled far beyond their comfort zones. Luckily, they have excellent companions in Stein and Stone. Ages 7–11.”—Publishers Weekly

“Anytime an artist successfully pushes boundaries within a genre, they’re creating new spaces for other artists to experiment and play. In A Little Called Pauline, two bodies of art are separated by over a hundred years and yet somehow they sing in a weird and satisfying harmony.”—Picture Book Review

About the book

Pauline lives with her mom in a house on stilts by the sea. A Little Called Pauline is the first picture book adaptation of a poem from Gertrude Stein’s groundbreaking 1914 book Tender Buttons. Featuring vibrant illustrations from poet-artist Bianca Stone, A Little Called Pauline invites young readers to experience Stein’s playful, mysterious language for the very first time and to delight in the adventures of a girl named Pauline. According to Stone’s afterword, “Pauline likes to do things her mom does, like type on a typewriter, and she doesn’t like to wear dresses. She also really, really wants to get a fancy crown at the market on her birthday, but they don’t have enough money…and Pauline throws a bit of a tantrum. Later, while her mom has a grownup birthday party for her, she runs away and jumps into a little boat. She rows out to sea. And all her family friends are searching for her. She sees all kinds of beautiful sights on her boat, but then things go terribly wrong, and Pauline needs to be rescued. In the end she is so glad for what she has, more than any crown to put on her head. Because she has a whole group of friends and family who love her—especially her mom.”