No Horses in the House! The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur, written by Mireille Messier and illustrated by Anna Bron. Orca, 2023. $21.95 ages 4 and up

 

"One day, while scouting the city for new 
animals to draw, Rosa discovered the horse 
market. Here, in the messy, smelly place, 
she found many fascinating breeds of horses. 
Some were breeds Rosa had never seen before. 
She was thrilled. 

"Hey! Girls can't be in the market!" snarled 
a merchant. "It's too dangerous."

I knew nothing about Rosa Bonheur before I read Mireille Messier's tribute to her talent, tenacity, and refusal to do what was expected of her as a young woman living in the 1800s. Rosa loved animals, and she especially loved to draw their pictures. She mostly drew cats, dogs, birds and cows. They were fine; Rosa loved to draw horses. No other animal held the appeal that those majestic beasts did. 

Her mother wanted her to learn to read; all Rosa wanted to do was draw. When pushed, she compromised by printing the alphabet while adding the image of an animal whose name began with each letter. Sewing and doing other 'girl' things were not for her, and she was not good at them. Drawing was different. Reluctantly her father gave her lessons - happiness was hers. 

Friends and neighbors were not impressed. Rosa continued learning to be the best artist she could be. Days were filled with constant work to get things exactly right. A visit to the horse market raised alarm bells. It was not 'ladylike' for her to be there. They dragged her away. Donning a disguise to help her look like her brother, back she went. She was recognized! 

After much pleading and pushing for change, Rosa earned a permit that allowed her to dress any way she wanted to dress. Her art won praise at the Salon de Paris. Patrons loved her work, but were not impressed at her lack of real training. Perseverance and practice won out.  Rosa became an acclaimed French Realists.

Appealing illustrations allow readers a chance to experience the setting and time for Rosa's life. They add contextually to the story of a confident and accomplished young woman facing unreasonable societal obstacles. An author's note is added, as is a timeline of her milestones.