A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams (Caldecott Honor Book)

by Jen Bryant, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

A Caldecott Honor Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book
Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
School Library Journal Best Books, Nonfiction
An ALA Notable Book

Award-winning author Jen Bryant and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet team for a stunning portrait of poet William Carlos Williams.

When William Carlos William wrote poems, he felt as free as the Passaic River as it rushed to the falls. Willie’s notebooks filled up, one after another. His words gave him freedom and peace. But he also knew he needed to earn a living, so Willie went off to medical school and became a doctor – one of the busiest men in town!

Yet he never stopped writing poetry.

In this dynamic picture book biography, Jen Bryant’s engaging prose and Melissa Sweet’s stunning mixed-media illustrations come together to celebrate an amazing man who found a way to both earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

Features an extensive timeline, author’s and illustrator’s notes, recommendations for further reading, and a selection of Williams’ poems. A River of Words is part of Eerdmans’ Incredible Lives for Young Readers series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802853028
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	07/09/2008
Series:	Incredible Lives for Young Readers (ILYR)
Pages:	34
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jen Bryant has written numerous books for young readers,including Georgia's Bones and A River ofWords, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award.Her book A Splash of Red (Knopf)received the Schneider Family Book Award and theNCTE Orbis Pictus Award for nonfiction. She lives inPennsylvania.


Melissa Sweet (www.melissasweet.net) hasillustrated many award winning books, including ARiver of Words (Eerdmans), a 2009 Caldecott Honorbook, and A Splash of Red (Knopf), an NCTEOrbis Pictus Award winner and a Sibert Honor book. Shealso wrote and illustrated Balloons OverBroadway (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), winner of the2012 Sibert Medal and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award.Melissa lives in Maine.

Editorial Reviews

"With plain words, appropriate to the style of this master of clear and precisely worded poetry, and brilliant images, Bryant and Sweet introduce Williams and his poetry in a fresh, accessible way…. It is entirely possible that this offering will not only acquaint readers with the man and his poetry but will also inspire creativity — Williams would no doubt be pleased." — Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)

"This stunning picture-book biography combines a lyrical text with wonderfully creative mixed-media illustrations in an impressive and personable homage to an extraordinary and accomplished man." — School Library Journal (Starred review)

"….the passion of both author and artist for their subject shine through on every page—in the pacing, in the layering of the compositions and, fittingly, in the carefully chosen details." — Shelf Awareness

"This gorgeous collage of words and images reveals bits and snatches of Williams's life — an ordinary childhood, a love of science and nature, a busy medical career, and a quiet obsession with poetry. The writer's words are incorporated into the colorful multimedia artwork, creating a lively, lyrical picture-book biography." — Curriculum Connections, School Library Journal

“A visual and audible stunner. Kudos to everyone involved. Kudos all around.” — Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (a School Library Journal blog)

“Inspiring.” — Booklist  

“Lively… insightfully portrays the writing life.”— The New York Times

From the Publisher

[Williams's] creative impulses are beautifully conveyed in Sweet's collaged watercolor and pencil compositions, often layered over the covers of old clothbound books. Words are scribbled on ruled sheets, prescription pads, receipts…the narrative unfolds clearly and chronologically in graceful free verse…A River of Words insightfully portrays the writing life.
—The New York Times

Sara London

With plain words, appropriate to the style of this master of clear and precisely worded poetry, and brilliant images, Bryant and Sweet introduce Williams and his poetry in a fresh, accessible way. The spare text manages to give an impression of his liberating childhood, his affinity for the ordinary, the successful marriage of his medical profession with his writing and the modernist artistic community of his time. The mixed-media illustrations, created primarily with watercolor and collage, take their inspiration from vintage books. At once vividly childlike and highly sophisticated, they have enormous visual appeal. The single-page renderings of Williams's brief poems are brilliantly conceived in colorful hand-lettering and collage, which might have been hard to read if they weren't so artistically compelling. It is entirely possible that this offering will not only acquaint readers with the man and his poetry but will also inspire creativity-Williams would no doubt be pleased. (timelines, bibliography, author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book/biography. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews