A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams

Name: A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
Price: 16.20 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780802853028

By: Jen Bryant

Illustrated By: Melissa Sweet

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2008 / Hardcover

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Product Description

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2009 Caldecott Medal Honor Book!
Kinetic energy bursts off the pages of this work of collages, words, color, poetry, and biography. Cut-outs, notebook paper, original illustrations, book covers, cut-out-printed-poems and other ephemera provide the backdrop for the story of doctor-poet William Carlos Williams. A poet from a young age, he continued to write even as he worked full-time as a doctor, keeping his dreams alive while making a living. The bright color and charm will keep young readers engaged as they read some of his poems included in the front/back inside covers and learn about his life. Timeline included. 34 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.

Product Information

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Title: A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
By: Jen Bryant
Illustrated By: Melissa Sweet
Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 34
Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Publication Date: 2008
Dimensions: 10.00 X 9.00 (inches)
Weight: 15 ounces
ISBN: 0802853021
ISBN-13: 9780802853028
Stock No: WW853028

Publisher's Description

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2009 Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book
A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
NCTE Notable Children’s Book

When he wrote poems, he felt as free as the Passaic River as it rushed to the falls. Willie’s notebooks filled up, one after another. Willie’s words gave him freedom and peace, but he also knew he needed to earn a living. So he went off to medical school and became a doctor -- one of the busiest men in town! Yet he never stopped writing poetry. In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant’s engaging prose and Melissa Sweet’s stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

Author Bio

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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

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Starred Review, School Library Journal, September, 2008
"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."

Starred review, Kirkus Reviews, July 2008
"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."

Shelf Awareness, October 2008
"….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."

Curriculum Connections, School Library Journal
"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."