Grandma Moses by Alexandra Wallner is a biography about Anna Mary Robertson Moses. She was born on a farm in Washington County, New York on September 7, 1860. Her first artwork was making toys since had only a few toys. Her father painted outdoor scenes, and she painted outdoor scenes on pieces of slate and windowpanes. Anna Mary helped with the farm work. In school, she was sometimes allowed to draw and enjoyed making maps.

In autumn 1886, she went to work for another family. She met Thomas Salomon Moses, who was a hired man. They loved each other and were married. They had ten children, but five of them died. They lived on a diary farm. One day when she was wallpapering the parlor, she ran out of paper. She painted two large trees on either side of the fireboard and a lake with big bushes in the middle which was her first large picture.

In January 1927, her husband died suddenly. In her late seventies, she had time to paint pictures of happy memories from her heart. She used glitter on the snow scenes to make them sparkle. People liked the honest way Anna Mary painted scenes of long ago. They felt like she was their grandmother and became known as Grandma Moses. People were inspired by her example of starting a new career late in life. Her pictures decorated greeting cards and many people knew her artwork. In 1949, President Harry Truman presented her with the Women's National Press Club Award "for outstanding accomplishment in art." She lived to be 101.

I am one of the people she inspired to start a new career late in life. Other people can learn from her example. She said, ". . . life is what we make it, always has been, always will be." ( )

Grandma Moses is a great biography about Anna Mary Moses. I find it interesting that after reading about 7 biographies, most of the parents inspired their children to pursue whatever it is that they enjoyed. For instance, Anna Mary never had time as a young adult to create the paintings she desired to create. But, because of her fathers creation on the wall in her childhood house, she never forgot how much she wanted to be a painter. We learn, once she finally has time to paint, she is able to create beautiful pictures. It wasn't until she was older that she was finally recognized for her paintings. This biography shows readers how important it is to never give up on something you love because this is living proof that it is never too late. ( )

This inviting picture book covers the childhood, courtship, and mature years of Anna Mary Robertson, the self-taught artist whose cheerful, upstate-New York landscapes and scenes of family gatherings first garnered serious attention as she turned 80. Robertson's experience with and exposure to creative endeavors throughout the years are woven naturally into the narrative: she built "air-castles" (played make-believe), designed homemade paper dolls, watched her father paint "landscapes" on their living room walls, and, as an adult, painted an outdoor scene on her parlor wall

"Grandma Moses" by Alexandra Wallner is your typical biography, a generalized overview of a life and a time. It's a slightly boring description of what seems like an extraordinary life. The way this book is written is almost deeply saddening because all the engaging elements of it stem from inferences on what Grandma Moses' life was really like. The book is very factual and one-sided, almost like a timeline instead of a book. While there are hints at an amazing story, it's mostly just historical information. If you're just looking for facts about her life instead of details about how it actually was, this is a book I'd recommend, but if you actually want to appreciate a great life, I'd look elsewhere. ( )

Summary:
Anna Mary Robertson was born to a farm family living in Washington County, New York in 1860. She grows up helping out with chores but following in her father’s footsteps enjoying art. Her father painted murals on their living room walls. She met her future husband at the age of 26, and moved to a farm in Virginia. There they worked hard, had ten babies but buried five. She lost her husband in 1927 (age 67) after moving back to New York. She was lonely and turned to painting scenes from her everyday life. She did this for ten years, and in 1938 exhibited her work in the local drugstore and county fair. Even though they drew little interest, she continued to paint. An art collector saw her work and in 1940 (age 80) convinced a gallery to display her paintings. From then on her popularity grew and she was able to purchase quality paints and brushes.

Description:
Wallner illustrates her biography with paintings done in the primitive style Grandma Moses made popular, using bright colors in everyday scenes. Incorporating well-chosen quotations from Grandma Moses’ autobiography, Grandma Moses: My Life’s History, to help portray and bring her subject to life, she begins the book with Grandma Moses saying, “If I didn’t start painting, I would have raised chickens,” and ends the book with her comment, “Life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be.” An appended bibliography and an author’s note extend the information about Grandma Moses’ life, and comments that there were nineteen presidents during her lifetime. (She sent Eisenhower a painting of his home as a gift.) ( )