Edward Hopper persevered in his desire to be an artist despite little success and few resources early on. He wanted to paint, and so he did paint. He fell in love with the light of Paris, but American scenes are what he wanted to capture, as he saw them. He painted old houses, lighthouses, and pictures of the sea. He painted small towns, and also the city, with the recurring theme of loneliness one way to think about the images that he captured on canvas, whether that loneliness was represented by a solitary house in the country, or by late-night diners in their solitary contemplation as in his best-known painting, Nighthawks . Robert Burleigh writes with enthusiasm, appreciation, and insight about Hopper, while Wendell Minor’s paintings are superbly suited to Hopper as subject. (Ages 7–10)

As a boy, Edward Hopper knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up: on the cover of his pencil box, he wrote the words EDWARD HOPPER, WOULD-BE ARTIST. He traveled to New York and to Paris to hone his craft. And even though no one wanted to buy his paintings for a long time, he never stopped believing in his dream to be an artist. He was fascinated with painting light and shadow and his works explore this challenge.

Edward Hopper's story is one of courage, resilience, and determination. In this striking picture book biography, Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor invite young readers into the world of a truly special American painter (most celebrated for his paintings "Nighthawks" and "Gas").