The Spy in the Museum

Jeanne Walker Harvey
Dec 9
2 min read

How Rose Valland Saved Art

from the Nazis

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Woman in red reading a book by a wooden wall. Text: "The Spy in the Museum" and "Erin McGuire". Warm colors, focused expression.

Beach Lane Books

(Simon Kids)

pub. 9.16.2025

40 pages

Ages 6 - 10

Author and illustrator: Erin McGuire

Character: Rose Valland

Overview:

"Rose Valland loved art. When the Nazis invaded Paris during World War II and took over her beloved museum, Rose could have fled. But who would save the artwork?

So, Rose remained and saw how she was underestimated by the soldiers for being a quiet, unassuming woman. She knew it was the time to act. And Rose had a secret weapon: she could speak German. She listened, kept track of all the stolen art, and saved what she could. Rose became a spy. And in the end, she saved thousands of works of art."

Tantalizing taste:

"She loved that modern art tossed aside rules, traditions,

and expectations - allowing art to run wild and free.

Color. Subject matter. Technique.

Modern art liberated all of these -

and changed the definition of art forever.

Adolf Hitler hated modern art...

His Nazi Party had twisted and hateful ideas about anything

new or different. Whatever they hated, they destroyed."

And something more: Erin McGuire in the Author's Note explains: "I've spent a long time researching Rose against the backdrop of other modern-day cultural shifts. Censorship, book banning, even the destruction of books, all helped me realize that the question is not 'Why does it matter to protect art?' but rather 'Why did it matter to the Nazis to destroy it?' They were not just destroying meaningless paint, canvas and paper, but the ideas themselves. They were trying to tell entire societies that these ideas did not deserve to flourish and persevere."