TCG Letter #268 / Carpenter Letter #116

GA&U had decided that Milein Cosman would illustrate Farmer Giles of Ham, a point that Tolkien did not approve of. He likened her artwork to that of Topolski or Ardizzone and found that the images lacked entirely the feel and look of the landscapes to which Farmer Giles belonged.^{That being the area around the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire countryside.[1]}

His displeasure did not end however at the landscapes. Tolkien noted the dragon was "absurd", so much so that the dragon in the image could not in his opinion perform the acts described in the story.

He concedes that the publisher will have the final say and if these illustrations are what they think acceptable, or indeed desirable to modern audiences, he can do litte.