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CM . . . . Volume XXII Number 3 . . . . September 18, 2015
excerpt:
Grant and Tillie Go Walking captures a story familiar to young adults who wish to escape their home community in order to experience life in other countries and cultures. Grant, a young man living on the family farm in Iowa, is determined to leave the shackles of a harsh 1920s prairie life behind. He relocates to Paris to realize his dream of becoming a painter. However, he is sorely missed by his favourite cow, Tillie, whose waning milk production is noted by those left behind. When Grant realizes that his painting venture is not successful, he decides to return to Iowa, much to the delight of Tillie. While in Iowa, Grant paints one of the most famous portraits in American art history: American Gothic. It would seem that prairie life was not so devoid of inspiration, after all.
Highly Recommended. Roxy Garstad is the Collection Assessment Librarian at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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- September 18, 2015. |
The writing is concise and thought-provoking. The reader is smoothly and expertly propelled back and forth between scenes in Paris and Iowa, which adds great interest and context to the story. One can almost feel Tillie's grief at the loss of Grant. While an author's note at the back of the book reveals that the Tillie story arc was not based in fact, it is a charming and necessary addition to the plot. In an age where family members often live far apart from each other, children may relate to Tillie's loneliness. Smith's illustrations accurately depict the characters' emotions, the fashions of the 1920s, and the muted colours of the prairie landscape. In addition, his rendition of American Gothic is a respectable interpretation of the original piece. All elements of the book come together to create what could very well become a classic in children's literature - and, certainly, one of the best children's books written on the story of painting.