Eve and Smithy; An Iowa Tale

What's an Iowa story doing on a Minnesota page? Read to the end to find out. Eve likes to plant and take care of her garden, and to paint pictures. Sometimes she gets so busy painting that she forgets to take care of the garden. Her neighbor Smithy is there to gently remind her. In thanks, Eve gives him one of her paintings. Soon his house is full of Eve's paintings, and he wants to thank her. After careful thought, he comes up with the perfect gift (it is something that is unique to small towns in the Midwest, by the way). Written and illustrated by Michelle Edwards, this was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 1995.