A Book, Too, Can Be a Star: The Story of Madeleine L'Engle and the Making of A Wrinkle in Time

by Charlotte Jones Voiklis, Jennifer Adams, Adelina Lirius (Illustrator)

Overview

An inspiring picture book biography of beloved author Madeleine L’Engle and the making of A Wrinkle in Time.


When Madeleine L'Engle was very small, she often found herself awake at night, marveling at the stars. They guided her throughout her life, making her feel part of a big and exciting world, even when she felt alone. They made her want to ask big questions—Why are we here? What is my place in the universe?—and let her imagination take flight. Books, too, were like stars—asking questions and proposing answers. Books kept Madeleine company, and soon, she began to write and share her own. But would other people see the wonder she found in the world?

Written by Madeleine's granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis and bestselling picture-book author Jennifer Adams, A Book, Too, Can Be a Star follows the life of one of the world's greatest creators—and gives children encouragement to lead a creative, inquisitive life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374388485
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	988,861
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Charlotte Jones Voiklis has worked in academia, nonprofit communications and fundraising, and philanthropy. In addition to managing her grandmother Madeleine L'Engle's estate, Charlotte is an author in her own right. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.


Jennifer Adams is the author of 50 books, including the best-selling BabyLit series, which introduces small children to the world of classic literature and has sold more than 2 million copies. Jennifer edits the children's book line at Sounds True and works weekends at her local independent bookstore, The King's English.


Adelina Lirius is an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden. She loves painting imaginary scenes, portraying nature, and depicting the different cultures she grew up with.

Editorial Reviews

"The artwork in this book is stunning; both realistic and magical, these illustrations connect readers emotionally to L’Engle’s story... An excellent choice for any collection looking for biographies on writers, fantasy, and successful women." —School Library Journal, starred review

"The perfect prelude to a shared reading of the ageless classic [A Wrinkle in Time]." —Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of L’Engle’s works will find inspiration to ask big questions of their own in this limited telling of the subject’s interests and inquiries." —Publishers Weekly

"Equally full of stars and starlight, the digital illustrations, with some elements painted traditionally with gouache, blend reality and the fantastical in glorious contrasting colors and swirling lines... The book celebrates L’Engle for her writing career but also for her inquisitive approach to the world around her, highlighting her love of music, art, theater, and stories." —Horn Book

"An incredibly thoughtful exploration of both an individual and life in general, and the gorgeous gouache and digital illustrations practically gleam on the page... A resplendent reminder that the big, beautiful questions are always worth asking." —Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2022

Gr 1–5—This narrative nonfiction title presents the life of Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, and how she became a writer. It describes her parents, schooling, and the jobs she took, how she married, and had a family. Throughout these years, she wrote. She wrote when she had questions, she wrote when she had strong feelings, and all of it helped her to tell the stories that other people wanted to hear, too. The artwork in this book is stunning; both realistic and magical, these illustrations connect readers emotionally to L'Engle's story. Those who have read and enjoyed L'Engle's work will love learning about her; those who haven't will be inspired to find the books. VERDICT An excellent choice for any collection looking for biographies on writers, fantasy, and successful women.—Debbie Tanner

School Library Journal

2022-08-17
Life experiences that shaped the author of A Wrinkle in Time (1962).

Beginning with an early memory of being taken out to view a glorious night sky, this measured, reverent profile follows Madeleine L’Engle, who even as a child had a yen for “big questions.” Through school into adulthood, marriage, and work, she found—in art, in theater, and, most of all, in writing—ways to ask questions and seek answers. L’Engle’s best known book, begun on a camping stopover in Arizona’s Painted Desert, was famously rejected by many publishers but quickly became the classic it still is, prompting generations of readers to find their own ways to ask big questions. Using supple swirls and curves to give her illustrations a lyrical flow, Lirius offers delicately detailed scenes of the White author at different ages, projecting queries in slender thought balloons and alternating between moments of dreamy solitude and in company that is racially diverse. Because of the brevity of the main narrative—though it is supplemented by substantial essays at the end (on L’Engle’s lasting influence, how this particular picture book came to be, and the negative effects of light pollution)—this one isn’t a one-stop for report writers or newcomers; rather, it’s best thought of as a keepsake or a lead-in to the middle-grade biography Becoming Madeleine (2018), which Jones Voiklis, who is L’Engle’s granddaughter, co-authored with her sister Léna Roy. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

The perfect prelude to a shared reading of the ageless classic. (further reading, timeline) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews