A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis

by Kathy Stinson, Lauren Soloy

A celebration of a beloved folk artist, and her artistic expression of joy and beauty.

Known for her vibrant and cheerful paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. Despite her beautiful art, she spent much of her life living in poverty with rheumatoid arthritis. In this stunning picture book, author Kathy Stinson and illustrator Lauren Soloy bring Maud's world to life: how she captured in her art what she loved most, while navigating the mobility issues caused by her condition. From bright paintings of the sea and countryside, to the flowers and birds she painted on the walls of the small house she shared with her husband, Maud's work continues to delight and inspire viewers young and old.

A Tulip in Winter features:

Backmatter about Maud Lewis' life and legacy Notes from the author and illustrator about how Maud has impacted their lives Uplifting and visually compelling, Maud's story will inspire young readers to find and focus on the beauty in their worlds.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Art, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Disability

44 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Kathy Stinson, author of internationally acclaimed Canadian children's classic, Red is Best and the TD Award Winner, The Man with the Violin, also writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction for young people of all ages.

Reviews

[Manybooks]

With her 2023 picture book, A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis, Canadian children's author Kathy Stinson offers a wonderful and also poignant textual glimpse into the life of Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1970), eloquently capturing Lewis’s ability to see and to create colourful artistic beauty even when her own life is often one of hardship, pain and equally of being teased, ignored and denigrated due to her physical challenges (short stature, bent and not all that mobile hands, relentless discomfort and stiffness from undiagnosed juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), but indeed, that when young Maud Dowley's hands become too stiff and bent to keep playing the piano, A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis shows how Maud's mother offers encouragement and hands her daughter a paintbrush and that Maud thus discovers the joy of art and using her brush to create beauty, to paint flowers, birds, butterflies etc. everywhere and anywhere, and to also artistically render for example flowers and green grassy hills in winter, to basically deliberately jumble up the seasons to her own, to Maud's personal visual and aesthetic likes and tastes.

However, although A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis certainly to a point focuses rather heavily on the many challenges in Lewis’ life (how Maud struggles to find employment since no one thinks she would physically be able to hold down a job, that when she has to live with her aunt after the deaths of her parents, Maud is not permitted to paint both inside the house and even on the porch and that her marriage to fishmonger Everett Lewis seems decently happy enough but is also often beset by abject poverty), Kathy Stinson also delightfully and gloriously demonstrates Maud Lewis with her husband's encouragement and support filling their small and unassumingly dull looking house with colour, painting floral and other natural motifs on the stairs, walls, tea canisters, dustpans and more, with Maud using art and painting as a kind of therapy for her (bur also together with her husband selling his fish and her artistic creations from their automobile when she, when Maud, is strong and well enough to be out and about).

And yes, Stinson verbally emphasises in A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis how the foundation of Lewis’ distinctive folk art is her observational acumen, her inherent and all encompassing ability to visually notice objects, entities both large and small, being able to enjoy both internal and also external beauty, to create artistic loveliness and exuberance albeit she, although Maud is (often) unable to leave the house due to her rheumatoid arthritis induced physical limitations, while illustrator Lauren Soloy’s thick-lined, brightly hued accompanying artwork for A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis is presented as imitating (as honouring) Maud Lewis' style, and captures the essence of Lewis’ joyous art as well as providing a lovely and complimentary aesthetic mirror to and for Kathy Stinson's printed words (and in fact also sometimes visually expanding on the textual, on the written details of A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis by having Soloy show period details such as horse-drawn carriages, historical clothing, and that many of the illustrative spreads are overlaid with white-lined drawings of the things Lewis observes in nature and then draws/paints like flowers, birds, trees, ocean waves etc.).

Four stars for A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis, and to be honest, I really do kind of want to be giving the combination of Kathy Stinson's text and Lauren Soloy's pictures five stars (as A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis certainly provides a superb introduction to both Maud Lewis' life and to her art, and with the supplemental information about Maud Lewis as well as the author's and illustrator's notes definitely being very much personally appreciated). But well, I unfortunately cannot really consider a five star rating for A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis, since for a five star rating, I would also need to have some examples of Maud Lewis' actual paintings provided in A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis, as well as a list of books about Lewis for further reading (and I do find it rather annoying how often with picture book biographies about artists, no examples of their works are provided and that A Tulip in Winter: A Story about Folk Artist Maud Lewis also does this).

[Cheryl]

Inspirational. If Lewis could accomplish what she did despite her challenges, what can the rest of us do if we make up our minds to pursue our passions? I'd never heard of her, and unfortunately the back matter has no photos or reproductions, but research reveals that the artist of the book did the illustrations in her style.

[Tiffany Hough]

A sweet picture book about one of my favorite artists, Maud Lewis.

[Mehsi]

A gorgeous picture book about a folk artist I didn't know about (at least nothing rings a bell). I loved reading about her life, see how despite her struggles she did everything she could to make her life beautiful, and I love her art. Would love to see it in real life.

[Tiffany]

I had never heard of Maud Lewis, but it was inspiring reading about her life and her accomplishments despite a condition that caused others to look at her and treat her as though she was “less than”. Maud lived her life and shared the beauty of her art despite the hardships she faced. Don’t miss the notes at the end of the book detailing more about Maud’s life and the author and illustrator connections.

[Cheriee Weichel]

The most important thing about Maud Lewis is that she found and brought joy into the world. Her life was hard, yet her art celebrates the beauty of the world around her. Her paintings might represent earlier times, but they inspire us to find the glory in our own everyday lives today.
I really appreciate that Stinson addresses the complexity of Maud's relationship with her husband, Everett Lewin. In the two pages of additional information in the back matter, they question whether his insistence on continuing to live in poverty, even when they had enough money to make life easier for Maud, was with malicious intent, or if he was just one of those people who, for whatever reasons, couldn't handle change.
Lauren Soloy's art is so beautiful and true to Maud's own work, you would be forgiven for thinking she is channeling Maud's spirit.

[Lauren]

I had not heard of this folk artist before, so it was interesting learning about her life, although it was a somewhat sad life, as she was shunned for her disabilities, often mistreated, and lived in poverty. Her colorful, whimsical paintings brought joy to so many--it's a shame that they were not more appreciated in her time. I wish the book had more images of her actual art, since I was unfamiliar with her work. Fortunately, vibrant, simple illustrations mimic it pretty closely--it is almost like Todd Parr's work-meets-Grandma-Moses, with lots of bright colors.

[Jean-Luke]

Having recently watched Maudie, starring the charming Sally Hawkins, I craved a little more Maud Lewis in my life. And a little more Nova Scotia. In lieu of a full-fledged biography, which I don't think has been written, I found what I was looking for in this gorgeously written and illustrated children's book. Maud Lewis was a Canadian folk artist and to know even a little bit about her life is to love her. The book's illustrations beautifully mimic Maud's style of painting, and were I ever to have a child—highly unlikely—this would be on their bookshelf.

[Brittany]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. Prior to reading this book, I knew little about the life of Maud Lewis. This is a very sweet little picture book biography about her life and legacy. I think that any young reader, especially those interested in art, will love to read this one. The illustrations for the book were created digitally, but they put off a very "painted" vibe for the reader.

[Amy]

After reading this charming picture book about her life and work, I feel like I'm going down some deep rabbit holes researching this amazing artist. Maud Lewis led what on the surface may seem like an uneventful life but reading about the type of woman she was and the gift she had for finding the joy and beauty around her made her life extraordinary. And I LOVE her art! I'm grateful to have discovered this artist and her work.

[Jessie]

It felt like there were a few jumps in this as a story and biography that were startling to me or that I had questions about, and the backmatter really did not fill in a lot of details. It also seems like they weren't able to get permission to reproduce any of Lewis's work, unfortunately. The imitation of the style and allusions to it were good, though.

The backmatter talks about what the title references, kind of mixing features of different seasons, but that's not in the main text at all.

[Janet]

Maud Lewis of Nova Scotia Canada was an unknown folk artist when she died in 1970. During her lifetime Maud suffered terribly with rheumatoid arthritis, but kept herself happy and occupied by adorning her house with folk art motifs as well as making folk art paintings. While the illustrations in this title are done in a folk art style, they are not the sharp crisp folk art style seen in the work of Maud Lewis which I recently saw online. I wish there were actual photographs of a few of Maud’s paintings in some appended material as her folk art paintings have very sharp lines to her objects.
Recently I read a picture book biography entitled, You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce The Stored life of Folk artist Elijah Pierce. While this title was illustrated by a debut young artist there were photos of a few of Mr. Pierce’s works included in appended material.

[Penny]

What a beautifully done book both by the author and by the illustrator to honor the wonderful artist Maud Lewis!! I have been captivated by Maud's art for many years now after reading about her life struggles. What an amazing woman she was!! Thank you Kathy and Lauren for bringing her to life in your beautiful book!!

[Lauren]

Man! This book is lovely & sad all at the same time. Poor Maud went through so much - mobility issues, health problems, a questionable husband. (I mean, he isn't someone that I would want to have married but conversely, each person should be able to decide what they would put up with. Additionally, there were some truly touching moments between the two. So, who am I to judge?)

[Diane Chaniewski]

I've heard about Maud Lewis here and there. This is a sweet picture book about her life. I had a friend who lived with severe R.A. and the author's description of her hands made me think immediately of my friend, Laurie (who also was an artist!).

[Laura]

This is really lovely. The art is so beautiful and really captures her art and spirit. It's a very fine line to walk with the whole "what was really different about her wasn't her disability but her talent," but they really pull it off here without feeling patronizing or like inspiration porn.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Carol Gordon Ekster]

Beautifully written and fitting illustrations, this picture book about a handicapped artist is inspiring and should be read in all elementary classrooms.

[Kelly]

What an amazing story!! I had no idea!

[Carlos]

On the life of folk artist Maud Lewis. Book delivers noble tribute, in both text and art style. Might be enjoyed more by older readers.

[Jaime]

Maud Lewis

[Trish]

This is a great book about artist Maud Lewis.

[Anne Bennett]

A sweet and inspiring story about a Canadian folk artist, Maud Lewis. I've never heard of her before but I am completely charmed by her art.

[Annette]

Loved it 😊

[Syntha Green]

Excellent bio, it would be great to go to Nova Scotia and see her house in the Art Gallery

[Jenny]

I had never heard of Maud Lewis, but now I want to visit the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to see her home! I am impressed by her optimism despite difficulty and the beauty she found and created.

[Jeremy]

A well-illustrated, well-told biography for kids about Maud Lewis's life and art. A strong 3 stars.

[Sara]

A fun children's book about a handicapped, impoverished girl in Nova Scotia who painted what she saw around her despite the hardships of her life.

[Jarrod]

Beautiful images and an incredible story

[Tammy]

Would have liked to see the artist's work in here.