Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History Book

This little biography is about a woman who was unknown to me- Tillie Anderson, a female bicycle racer at the turn-of-the-twentieth-century. The author provides context for Tillie's life with people in the story commenting on the things women were not supposed to do and their reactions to Tillie's exploits. A Swedish immigrant living in Chicago, Tillie had the mental and physical toughness to defy gender norms and become a bicycle racer. She worked out and practiced to achieve daring speeds, break records and become an icon for women's rights. The text is lively and fun and an author's note tells a longer story about Tillie Anderson.

I did not like the illustrations in this book. The illustrator uses a limited color palette that seems very odd. The illustrations become more colorful as the story goes along. I liked how the illustrations covered women's rights and showed how Tillie became an inspiration for girls instead of just the basics of her life story. The style of the illustrations was not really to my liking. They're very odd and not very detailed. I did like the illustration at the end showing Tillie's racing career victory timeline.