Although Grant Wood's "American Gothic" is known throughout the world, little or nothing about the artist who painted it has been written for children prior to now. This biography is worthy of their attention. It includes more than a dozen reproductions of his works in full color and several black-and-white photographs of other works and of Wood himself. The conversational tone of the narrative will engage readers' in finding out about the Iowa artist who elevated the places and people around him in his paintings during a time when the style of art called Regionalism had not reached a respected status. Source documentation and an index should have been included in this wonderfully designed book which is, otherwise, exemplary. (Ages 9-14)