Born in 1906 in Croswell, Michigan, Gwen Frostic grew up loving art and the outdoors. Although an illness left her with weak hands and slurred speech, her mother encouraged her, sending her to school and providing her with art supplies. Gwen drew comfort from nature, and her hands grew in strength as she sketched and, later, took mechanical drawing and shop classes with male classmates outside of Detroit. In art school, she explored new forms: printmaking and metalwork. During WWII, she designed tools used to make bombers for the war effort. Gwen’s drive to create led to the establishment of her own stationery company; eventually, she moved to northern Michigan and set up her shop in the woods, creating art inspired by her observations of the wetlands. Her work inspired others to help protect the natural beauty that surrounded them. This brightly illustrated biography tells the inspiring story of a motivated, independent woman who quietly channeled her talents and passions into making a better world for herself and others. (Ages 6–9)