Silent Days, Silent Dreams

by Allen Say, Allen Say (Illustrator)

Overview

Caldecott Medal winner Allen Say brings his lavish illustrations and hybrid narrative and artistic styles to the story of artist James Castle.

James Castle was born two months premature on September 25, 1899, on a farm in Garden Valley, Idaho. He was deaf, mute, autistic, and probably dyslexic. He didn't walk until he was four; he would never learn to speak, write, read, or use sign language.Yet, today Castle's artwork hangs in major museums throughout the world. The Philadelphia Museum of Art opened "James Castle: A Retrospective" in 2008. The 2013 Venice Biennale included eleven works by Castle in the feature exhibition "The Encyclopedic Palace." And his reputation continues to grow.Caldecott Medal winner Allen Say, author of the acclaimed memoir Drawing from Memory, takes readers through an imagined look at Castle's childhood, allows them to experience his emergence as an artist despite the overwhelming difficulties he faced, and ultimately reveals the triumphs that he would go on to achieve.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545927611
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	262,980
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Allen Say is the beloved author and illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including the highly acclaimed Drawing from Memory, The Inker's Shadow, and The Favorite Daughter (all published by Scholastic); the Caldecott Medal winner Grandfather's Journey; and the Caldecott Honor winner The Boy of the Three-Year Nap. He is known for his technical skill and varied style, and his books pay tribute to Japanese culture, as well as his own personal experiences. His many books include Tree of Cranes, Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, Tea with Milk, and Erika-San. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

Allen Say's Silent Days, Silent Dreams is a fascinating biography of James Castle, a self-taught 20th-century American artist who was deaf from birth and never learned to read and write…It is fitting that it's Say's art that truly tells Castle's story. Written in the voice of a nephew of Castle, the tale is spare and almost detached, but the images reveal the torment of his silent, lonely childhood and the passion of creation…[Say] has given us a portrait of the purest of artists—one unconcerned about receiving glory for his art, yet desperately passionate about its creation.

The New York Times Book Review - Grace Lin

★ 08/14/2017
Say (The Inker’s Shadow) tells the haunting story of outsider artist James Castle, a deaf and autistic man whose talent was not recognized until late in his life. Narrating in the voice of Castle’s nephew, Say describes how Castle was born in 1899 into an Idaho farm family with no resources to help their son. He never learned to speak or read; when upset, he shrieked uncontrollably. But he found consolation in drawing and made some 15,000 pictures, often with soot and sharpened sticks after teachers confiscated his drawing materials. Drawings done in the style of Castle accompany the story—blocky, sometimes surreal human figures and houses—and Say also supplies pen-and-ink vignettes and anguished charcoal portraits of the bullying the man endured throughout his life.. After living alone in outbuildings on family properties for decades, Castle at last came to the attention of local artists and gained some financial security. Say’s moving portrait of Castle’s work and life (“I think he was happy,” he concludes) pays tribute to a man who was compelled to create despite the torments he underwent. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)This review has been updated to clarify that all of the artwork in the book was done by Say.

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Drawing from Memory:"Approached from almost any angle, this book is a treasure." — Washington Post* "Aesthetically superb; this will fascinate comics readers and budding artists while creating new Say fans." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "Illustrations are richly detailed and infused with warmth . . . . Readers of all ages will be inspired by the young Say's drive and determination." — School Library Journal, starred review* "Throughout, you can see canny artistic choices being made — color here, monochrome there, a cartoon, a snapshot — that reinforce content with appropriate form." — Horn Book, starred review* "There's a thoughtful, measured quality to Say's modest storytelling . . . . As visual as it is textual." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review"As the story of a young artist's coming of age, Say's account is complex, poignant, and unfailingly honest. Say's fans — and those who also feel the pull of the artist's life — will be captivated." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Inker's Shadow:"A wealth of graceful ink portraits, drawings, and paintings, and a provocative view of postwar America from the outside in." — Publishers Weekly"The illustrations are a pleasing combination of watercolor cartoon panels . . . and black-and-white sketches . . . . Together, the two combine to provide an engaging and thoughtful view of the intersection of art and life." — Horn Book"Say weaves an ultimately optimistic story of the 'American Dream' . . . . With beautiful artwork and an engaging story, this affecting account will resonate with all ages." — BooklistPraise for The Favorite Daughter:"Caldecott-winner Say's . . . meticulous draftsmanship and openhearted honesty make this a memorable piece of autobiography." — Publishers Weekly"Say's command of watercolor, ink, and pencil develops the visual narrative through a combination of uncluttered interiors . . . . A sensitive addition to the canon of picture books about children coming to terms with being 'different.'" — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2017
Gr 3–7—In this fascinating longform "imagined" biography about James Castle, author-illustrator Say plays with artistic and literary formats. Castle was born deaf and premature in Idaho, was considered to be autistic and dyslexic, and was abused and bullied for his inability to speak or read. He was discouraged from creating art by his parents and principal, and had his art supplies confiscated and artworks destroyed many times, yet he still created a huge and compelling body of work. The biography is written from the perspective of Castle's nephew, Bob Beach, and the back matter provides detailed information about the artist and Say's connection to him. Say's art, inspired by the many styles of James Castle, vibrates on the page in a variety of media, including matchsticks, shoe polish, liquid laundry bluing, and cardboard, and he even switched hands to imitate Castle. Just as Castle's art leapt in styles and emotions, Say's work shows the trials of a beleaguered and prolific artist. VERDICT A phenomenal and profoundly artistic and biographical work.—Lisa Nowlain, Nevada County Community Library, CA

School Library Journal

★ 2017-07-17
An imagined biography in words and pictures of the self-taught white artist James Castle. James Castle was born in 1899 on a farm in rural Idaho, "deaf, mute, autistic, and probably dyslexic." Using interviews, written biographical material, and Castle's own drawings as guides, Say, writing in the voice of Robert "Bob" Beach, Castle's nephew, offers a sensitive portrait of a person compelled to draw despite abuse and lack of drawing materials. Considered "ineducable" by the principal of the Idaho School for the Deaf James attended from ages 10 to 15 (he also told James' father not to let him draw), James used burnt matchsticks, soot mixed with his own saliva, and scrap paper to draw in secret. When Beach showed some of Castle's drawings to his art professor, the professor, impressed, arranged an exhibition. More exhibitions followed, and Castle moved into a used trailer—by far the nicest studio he ever had. It's a small but deep triumph that this misunderstood, determined artist became discovered by the art world during his lifetime. "I think he was happy," narrator Bob says of this period, and it's a wistful note that Say's illustrations—some in Castle's own style, some darkly black and white, and some in color—give heartfelt resonance to. With sensitive text and powerful illustrations, Say brings this remarkable, inspiring life to poignant reality. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 8-15)

Kirkus Reviews