Grant and Tillie Go Walking

K-Gr 2—In a fictional tale inspired by Grant Wood, the painter of American Gothic, Tillie, a cow, longs for her companion when he goes to Paris to study under the masters. When Europe proves to be a disappointment, the artist returns home to paint the things he loves, to the delight of his cow. The simple text reads aloud easily, and the horizontal format captures the rolling hillsides of the Iowa countryside. The impressionistic speckles of Smith's illustrations come from his use of a toothbrush and combine well with the soft shapes of watercolor and ink. Although the bold stenciled outlines of his shapes vaguely recall Wood's style, their dreamlike tints and subtle texture is no substitute (nor are they intended to be) for the heroism of Wood's exaggerated curves, strong colors, and bird's-eye perspective. The simple story is written as if it were a true account of events. An author's note addresses the embellishments and made-up bits, but the tender message to draw inspiration from the things you love still holds true in this mixture of fact and fiction.