The Chicago office of the Prang Educational Company employed Perkins for the next 10 years, offering her opportunities to teach and illustrate.

In 1905, her husband was appointed chief architect for the Chicago Board of Education, allowing them to support the construction of a new house in Evanston, Illinois.

The book was inspired by friend Edwin Osgood Grover, who saw a picture Perkins drew of a pair of Dutch children.

She died in Pasadena, California, of a heart attack from coronary thrombosis on March 18, 1937; she had recently moved there with her husband in an effort to restore her health.

[1] Perkins' book The Dutch Twins inspired children's author Beverly Cleary to start reading.

[2] Perkins also provided illustrations for Edith Ogden Harrison's series of fairy tales, published in the early years of the 20th century.

Before beginning the Twins series Perkins illustrated, and sometimes contributed as editor or writer, to new editions of Aesop's fables, Anderson and Grimm fairy tales, Hawthorne's classical mythology, and Robin Hood.