ALA Booklist (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Grant Wood's iconic painting of a dour couple standing in front of a modest farmhouse is one of the world's most recognizable, and this picture book biography puts it front and center in the artist's life. Beginning with Grant Wood's childhood on an Iowa farm, Susan Wood emphasizes his early love of art and his struggle to find a style for himself among the burgeoning art scene in Europe. After being inspired by some gothic paintings, Grant Wood returns home to the American Midwest, where he meticulously paints his masterpiece and launches a new art movement all his own. MacDonald's watercolor illustrations show the diligent, bespectacled painter, always clad in denim overalls, looking at art, painting at an easel, and gazing at the rolling Iowa fields he loved so much, and he nicely mimics the bright colors and naturalistic lines of Grant Wood's own paintings. A closing author's note offers more comprehensive background. Kids curious about the ubiquitous image will appreciate this genial look at the artist behind the painting.

Kirkus Reviews

The story of Grant Wood and his iconic painting. A breezy tour of the white Midwestern artist's life first shows him drawing with charred sticks on brown wrapping paper (since his family didn't have much money). Later, he drew in crayon, made scenery for school plays and publications, and won art awards. As a young adult, he traveled to Europe, and three double-page spreads show him creating impressionist, cubist, and abstract paintings just like those of Monet, Picasso, and Mondrian, though it's unclear from text and illustrations if he did imitations or simply experimented with different styles. (The page on abstract artists shows a Mondrian knockoff on Wood's easel.) But traveling in Germany, he realized he most appreciated the realistic portraits of the Gothic period—Hans Memling's and Jan van Eyck's, in particular. Wood went home to Iowa and got to work creating art based on the real people and places of his region. Using his sister and his dentist as models, he created his most famous work, American Gothic, shown at the Chicago Art Institute in 1930. Young readers are treated to a crash course in modern art while witnessing Wood's evolution as an artist. A sunny palette of yellows, greens, and browns is perfect for Wood's regionalist art and the inspirational tone of the volume. A fine, accessible introduction to Wood's art. (author's note, sources, timeline) (Picture book/biography. 7-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Readers learn the backstory behind painter Grant Wood-s most famous work in an account that movingly recounts his growth as an artist. Crisp, direct narration follows Wood from his home in Iowa to Europe, where he studied impressionism, cubism, and abstract art before being drawn to the gothic art movement. MacDonald-s illustrations are, as usual, a celebration of America-s yesteryears, and are ideally suited to the rural, regional focus that Wood brought to his art: -The weathered people in Grant-s painting were survivors,- writes Wood of American Gothic, -just as Depression-era Americans hoped to be.- An extensive author-s note and timeline bring additional depth to an inspiring study of an artist who learned to find beauty, truth, and inspiration in the people and landscape of his home. Ages 5-7. Author-s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator-s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

K-Gr 3From humble beginnings sketching corn fields in rural Iowa, overall-clad Grant Wood traversed Europe in search of artistic inspiration only to find it back home in the Depression-era American Midwest. The immense success of American Gothic heralded the style of Regionalism and showcased the hardworking residents of the heartland. Wood's narrative reads like a treasured story about an admired family member. Expertly matched with MacDonald's light-infused illustrations, the retro comic art style and vintage typeface capture the connection between the heart of Grant Wood and the landscapes (and people) that he loved. Designed to be read aloud and enjoyed by all ages, a gentle nudge to follow one's own creative instincts emerges from the straightforward text. Author's notes include photographs, anecdotes, and a time line of the artist's short life. VERDICT An introduction to the artist, the movement, and the famous painting, this book illuminates and exalts the U.S. artist who followed his heart and drew what he knew best. Enjoyable as it is informative, it is a fine purchase for all elementary school libraries.Jane Miller, Nashville Public Library