TILLIE THE TERRIBLE SWEDE
How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History
Author: Stauffacher, Sue
Illustrator: McMenemy, Sarah

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)