Walt Whitman: Words for America

by Barbara Kerley, Brian Selznick (Illustrator)

Overview

The pioneering team that brought you Caldecott Honor Book The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins lends their vision, flair, and unique style to Walt Whitman—poet, American icon, Civil War hero.

Did you know that poet Walt Whitman was also a Civil War nurse? Devastated by his country dividing and compelled to service by his brother's war injury, Walt nursed all soldiers—Union and Confederate, black and white. By getting to know them through many intense and affecting experiences, he began to see a greater life purpose: His writing could give these men a voice, and in turn, achieve his highest aspiration—to capture the true spirit of America. Dramatic, powerful, and deeply moving, this consummate portrait of Whitman will inspire readers to pick up their pens and open their hearts to humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780439357913
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2004
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 12.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD970L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Barbara Kerley is a two-time Sibert Honoree and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honoree whose award-winning biographies include What to Do About Alice?, The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy), Those Rebels, John & Tom, and A Home for Mr. Emerson, all illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham; Tigers & Tea with Toppy, illustrated by Matte Stephens; and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins and Walt Whitman: Words for America, illustrated by Brian Selznick. Kerley's books have all been praised for their lively prose, meticulous research, and artistic presentation style. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at barbarakerley.com.
Brian Selznick’s books have sold millions of copies, garnered countless awards worldwide, and been translated into more than 35 languages. He broke open the novel form with his innovative and genre-defying thematic trilogy, beginning with the Caldecott Medal-winning #1 New York Times bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning movie Hugo. He followed that with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Wonderstruck, adapted into the eponymous movie by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick, and the New York Times bestseller, The Marvels. Selznick’s two most recent books for young people, Baby Monkey, Private Eye, an ALA Notable Book co-written with his husband David Serlin, and Kaleidoscope, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2021, were both New York Times bestsellers as well. He also illustrated the 20th anniversary edition covers of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Selznick and Serlin divide their time between Brooklyn, New York and La Jolla, California. Learn more at thebrianselznick.com and mediaroom.scholastic.com/brianselznick.

Editorial Reviews

Distinctions and Praise for Walt Whitman: Words for America: (partial listing)Sibert Honor BookALA Notable BookNew York Times Best Illustrated BookNCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language ArtsCBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young PeopleParents Choice Silver Award Winner* "A cultural force rendered with power and immediacy for a new generation." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "Whitman's eloquent voice resonate[s] through the pages, and bountiful source notes remove any doubt of these talented collaborators' affection and admiration for their subject—their enthusiasm is convincing and contagious. —Publishers Weekly, starred review* "Brilliantly inventive paintings add vibrant testimonial to the nuanced text . . . [an] unabashedly glowing tribute." —School Library Journal, starred review"Whitman lovers everywhere should give joyful thanks for this splendid presentation." —Horn Book

From the Publisher

A visual and textual portrait of America's most revolutionary and celebrated poet. Kerley distills Whitman's wide-ranging biography, centering on the significant themes of his life: his passion for words, America, and the common man, as well as his torment over race, democracy, and the Civil War. Beginning with the iconic 1855 cover portrait, brash, yet melancholy, the effect is outsized stateliness in which "you will feel every word . . . " and illustration. Depicting Whitman as both a literal and metaphorical journeyman, Selznick paints him hiking with the pages of his habitual notebooks floating around him, each with a word from his poetry, graphically bursting the boundaries of convention. A dramatic page-turn introduces the Civil War, the axis of Whitman's career and the nation's anguish. Two galleries of portraits based on actual daguerreotypes project the heroism of Whitman's mythic common man as encountered in military photos and in hospital wards. A cultural force rendered with power and immediacy for a new generation. (notes, sources, poetry excerpts) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews