Tillie the Terrible Swede

Starred review from November 22, 2010
Reaching back more than a century, Stauffacher and McMenemy resurrect the story of pioneering woman cyclist Tillie Anderson—and make Lance Armstrong feel like yesterday's news. Racing in a self-created aerodynamic outfit (hence the needle reference in the title), Anderson both scandalized and thrilled 1890s America as she shattered records for speed and endurance, leaving competitors and conventional wisdom in the dust. At first, McMenemy's (The Busiest Street in Town) doll-like characterizations and pert settings seem too dainty to serve the story of an athletic heroine and her frenzied times, but within a few pages Anderson's unstoppable determination and energy read loud and clear—in fact, McMenemy proves that the diminutive can also be indomitable. Stauffacher's (Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson) writing is as sprightly and heartfelt as ever, and to her credit, she connects Tillie's accomplishments to the building women's rights movement. An excellent afterword, tucked on the inside back cover, provides fascinating historical context for Anderson's story. Worthy of taking its place beside You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! and other top-notch junior histories. Ages 5–8.

December 15, 2010

Modern bike-riding kids do not realize that for women at the turn of the 20th century bicycles equaled freedom. For Tillie Anderson, it was the ticket out of her job in a tailor shop and into the world of racing and fame. In Tillie's day, women cycled in long dresses, gracefully navigating figure eights or circles around a ladylike maypole, never being seen with "bicycle face." With her trusty needle and thread, Tillie sewed a close-fitting, scandalous suit for riding, allowing her to enter real bike races. Loose, dainty watercolors employ an old-timey palette and give this historic tale the right touch of humor. Tillie is always surrounded by white, making her easy to find in the race scenes. Each spread is full of movement, with circles and ovals playing their proper role in this tale of athleticism, women's rights and freedom. The endpapers extend the story—the opening shows women's fashions and the closing recounts the highlights of Tillie's life in racing. (author's note) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2011

Gr 1-5-A picture-book biography of the tailor turned bicycling champion. After seeing her first bicycle, Tillie Anderson began saving her money to buy one. However, she wasn't interested in the kind of synchronized riding that was deemed respectable; she wanted to race. She trained by working out with weights and riding for half-hour stints. After realizing that her long skirts were a hindrance, she used her sewing skills to make a pants outfit more suited to riding. Anderson started entering races, both outdoors and in the velodrome, where she dominated the field. She soon became the spokesperson for bicycle advertisements. There was an inevitable backlash from other riders and traditionalists, but she persevered despite being deemed unwomanly and referred to as the "Terrible Swede." While this biography offers broad-stroke information on Anderson and the state of women's issues at the time, the endpapers provide annual statistics from 1896 to 1901 regarding her "Record Breakers" as well as her "Cycling Victories." The whimsical gouache and hand-painted paper collage illustrations add to the turn-of-the-century flavor of the book, while the uniform color palette of each spread adds cohesion to the layout. A great addition to the growing number of biographies of daring women.-Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2011
Grades K-3 In the 1890s, when Swedish American seamstress Tillie Anderson decided to try bicycling, she faced opposition from her mother, her friends, and her neighbors. Refusing to heed their objections to her scandalous (skirtless) costume and her unladylike (fast) pace, she built up her muscles with exercise and headed for the races, where she broke the womens record in a 100-mile event. Tillie marries her biggest fan and, as the story ends, dives into a promising new pursuit: driving a motorcar. Based on Andersons scrapbooks and memorabilia as well as articles and family memories, this picture book concludes with an authors note (inconveniently placed beneath the jacket flap) offering more information about Andersons life as well as the bicycle craze of the 1890s. The front endpapers display fashionable items of ladies clothing from the period, while the back endpapers spotlight Tillies Record Breakers and Tillies Cycling Victories. This picture-book biography celebrates an unsung heroine in womens history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)