On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson
by Jennifer Berne (Author) Becca Stadtlander (Illustrator)
An inspiring and kid-accessible biography of one of the world's most famous poets.
Emily Dickinson, who famously wrote Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, is brought to life in this moving story.
In a small New England town lives Emily Dickinson, a girl in love with small things--a flower petal, a bird, a ray of light, a word. In those small things, her brilliant imagination can see the wide world--and in her words, she takes wing. From celebrated children's author Jennifer Berne comes a lyrical and lovely account of the life of Emily Dickinson: her courage, her faith, and her gift to the world. With Dickinson's own inimitable poetry woven throughout, this lyrical biography is not just a tale of prodigious talent, but also of the power we have to transform ourselves and to reach one another when we speak from the soul.
- Fantastic educational opportunity to share Emily Dickinson's story and poetry with young readers
- An inspirational real-life story that will appeal to children and adults alike.
- Jennifer Berne is the author of critically acclaimed children's biographies of Albert Einstein and Jacques Cousteau.
Fans who enjoyed Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and her Poetic Beginnings, Emily and Carlo, and Uncle Emily will love On Wings of Words.
- Books for kids ages 5-8
- Poetry for children
- Biographies for children
Jennifer Berne is the award-winning author of the biographies Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. She lives in Copake, New York.
Becca Stadtlander is the illustrator of many children's and young adult publications, including Sleep Tight Farm. She was born and raised in Covington, Kentucky.
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Publishers Weekly
Butterflies flutter through this exploration of Emily Dickinson's singular spirit, a visual leitmotif that mirrors her slantwise sensibility. Berne's finely chosen words echo Dickinson's poetic proclivities: "In a little room--in the dark before dawn--/ a baby girl was born./ Her parents celebrated the holiday/ they called Emily." She paints a picture of a curious child who, as she grows, finds her own way to make sense of a world holding both trouble and joy. "Everywhere she looked,/ she was told to obey without asking,/ to believe without knowing why./ So she began to put her faith in/ what she could see and understand." Lines from Dickinson's poems punctuate Berne's text, reflecting themes of nature, wonder, and joy. Stadtlander's modern folkloric gouache and watercolor illustrations seamlessly merge realism and fantasy, capturing fine details such as floral-sprigged fabrics and rendering whimsical scenes like a miniature Emily astride a grasshopper in a sunset sky. Ages 5-8. (Feb.)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
K-Gr 3--The author uses lyrical text, direct quotations, and illustrated metaphors to capture the life and mind of Emily Dickinson. This picture book biography illuminates the poet's life and creativity in an accessible way for young poetry enthusiasts. Berne covers Dickinson's early years and development as a writer and truth seeker. Dickinson's fascination with nature, books, people, and religion is emphasized. While some of the details surrounding her life events are vague (such as the sorrows she encountered or her experience with her very religious school principal), the text offers a compelling and reflective affirmation of the literary icon. Dickinson's own words are interspersed among the expressive narrative; there is an appropriate delineation between Berne's words and Dickinson's by using different fonts for each author. The font representing Dickinson mimics handwriting. Stadtlander's striking gouache and watercolor illustrations are as dreamy and enigmatic as the subject herself. An afterword offers more information about Dickinson's poetry, an early introduction to the genre itself, and additional resources. VERDICT A fine addition to most biography or poetry collections for libraries in search of resources on Dickinson for young readers.--Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
Poets, American
Dickinson, Emily
