I can't help it that I've got to draw and paint forever; I cannot stop; I cannot; CANNOT. . . . I have a right to go on drawing. . . . And we are all going through high school!

These words from Wanda Gág's diary, written when she was a teenager, reveal the two most important parts of her life—her art and her family. And the two were very much entwined. Wanda's idyllic childhood was filled with German fairy tales, musical evenings, and hours spent in her father's painting studio. As soon as Wanda learned to draw, she couldn't stop and dreamed of becoming an artist.

But when her beloved father died, teenage Wanda put her family before her art, taking care of her ailing mother and six siblings. It wasn't until she knew that her family could support itself that she finally attained her dream—winning a scholarship to a famous art school in New York City and eventually creating one of the most beloved children's books of all time, Millions of Cats.

Deborah Kogan Ray reveals an artist extraordinary in both talent and resolve—an inspiration for anyone with a dream.

From the dust jacket