A child's biography of French artist Henri Rousseau, who spent his life as a toll collector, but created unheralded masterpieces in his spare time. Introduces readers to the life and accomplishments of Henri Rousseau, a self-taught painter who faced harsh criticism but persevered and succeeded.

Rousseau was a true amateur painter. His brightly-colored paintings of imaginary forests and wild animals lacked all formal techniques. Contemporary critics were unimpressed, but today they are regarded among the greatest works of art.