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Monica Kulling is the author of over40 books for children, including the popular Great Idea series, stories of inventors. The third book in the series, In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up, was nominated for the 2012 Governor General's Award for illustration and chosen as the 2012 Simon Wiesenthal Honor Book. In addition,her work has been nominated for numerous Silver Birch Express and Golden Oak awards. Her recent picture books include Lumpito and the Painter from Spain, Mister Dash and the Cupcake Calamity and The Tweedes Go Electric.She lives in Toronto, Canada. Sydney Smith was born in rural Nova Scotia, and has been drawing since an early age. Since graduating from NSCAD University, he has illustrated multiple children's books, including the wordless picture book Sidewalk Flowers, and he has received awards for his illustrations, including the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration. He now lives in Toronto and works in a shared studio space in Chinatown where he eats too many banh mi sandwiches and goes to the library or the Art Gallery of Ontario on his breaks.
I realized that all the really good ideas I'd ever had came to me while I was milking a cow. So I went back to Iowa. Grant Wood CCBC Best Books for Children and Teens, Spring 2016 A heartfelt, visually pleasing, and informative read inspired by an artist's love for his home. - Booklist This fanciful story represents the power of friendship and the role of the familiar in the creative process. Kirkus Reviews Using watercolours, ink, and a toothbrush, illustrator Sydney Smith mimics Grant's style, bringing Kulling's story of friendship, home, and ambition to life with an understated softness. National Post The tender message to draw inspiration from the things you love still holds true in this mixture of fact and fiction. School Library Journal One of the best children's books written on the story of painting. Highly recommended. CM Magazine
