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Summary
Summary
A lyrical biography of E. B. White, beloved author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little , written by Barbara Herkert and illustrated by Caldecott honoree Lauren Castillo.
When young Elwyn White lay in bed as a sickly child, a bold house mouse befriended him. When the time came for kindergarten, an anxious Elwyn longed for the farm, where animal friends awaited him at the end of each day. Propelled by his fascination with the outside world, he began to jot down his reflections in a journal. Writing filled him with joy, and words became his world.
Today, Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web are beloved classics of children's literature, and E. B. White is recognized as one of the finest American writers of all time.
A Christy Ottaviano Book
Author Notes
Barbara Herkert is the author of Mary Cassatt: Extraordinary Impressionist Painter . She has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University, and lives in Oregon.
Lauren Castillo is the author-illustrator of many books for young children, including the Caldecott Honor-winning Nana in the City , Melvin and the Boy and The Reader, written by Amy Hest. She currently lives in Pennsylvania.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Herkert and Castillo pay tender tribute to Elwyn White who, as E.B. White, would write three enduring books for children: Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. In a subtle narrative structured like verse, Herkert dwells on White's childhood, on the foundational connections he made to nature (including a mouse he secretly kept in his room), and his attentiveness to his natural surroundings: "His ears captured/ an owl's query,/ the breeze's beckoning,/ the scuffing of horse hooves." Castillo uses brown ink, soft watercolors, and digital manipulation to create sturdy, nostalgic scenes of city and country to accompany the development of White's writing and family life. Rich and rewarding. Ages 5-9. Author's agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
The writer E. B. White is introduced here in spare text and warm images, with a focus on Whites love of nature and animals as well as the creation of his first two childrens books. With just a few sentences on each page, Herkert effectively evokes Whites own prose, filled with sensory detail and phrases that roll off the tongue: His ears captured an owls query, the breezes beckoning, the scuffing of horse hooves. Castillos illustrations mirror the text with natural colors (warm browns predominate) and lively drawings of the young boy growing into the adult writer. One of the most striking illustrations is of the author and his family in a car heading for their new saltwater farm in Maine--it looks to be springtime with bare trees and green fields, alive with possibility. The book starts with Whites childhood, then moves to vignettes of his youth and adulthood, providing brief descriptions of the inspiration for and creation of Stuart Little and Charlottes Web, and ends with a double-page spread celebrating Whites life and words: He basked in the seasons, the peace of the barn, the beauty of the world. His stories capture the glory of nature and the comfort of hope. An authors note gives a little more context, but for a detailed examination of Whites life, readers will need to go elsewhere (viz. Melissa Sweets Some Writer!, rev. 9/16). A gentle reverie on a beloved writer, ideally suited for children first encountering his childrens books as read-alouds. A brief bibliography is appended. monica edinger (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
This quiet biography begins with young Elwayn White, later known as Andy, sick in bed with a mouse as his companion. Readers then see Andy as he explores attics and barns, always observant of sights and smells. After spending dreaded days at school, he communes with his many animals and writes in his journal. While in college, a mouse with a hat and cane appears to Andy in a dream, and he regales his young relatives with tales of Stuart Little. As an adult, Andy moves his family to Maine, where he writes down Stuart's escapades, as well as stories about pigs, swans, and spiders: His stories capture the glory of nature and the comfort of hope. For those who know Charlotte or Stuart, this book, which has the feel of poetry, will fill in information about White, though the evocative text isn't balanced by any sense of whimsy. The spacious artwork, with a sturdy accent on the natural world, is lovely but also staid. Still, this gives an important glimpse into how inspiration can pop up anywhere.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2017 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-The lean, carefree verse treads lightly through events in E.B. White's life and occasionally lingers on rich, imagistic descriptions of the rural rhythms that so inspired him ("Elwyn's senses sharpened/to the ripe scent of manure,/the creak of harness leather,/the perfect shape of eggs..."). These particular moments shine and could provide useful material for poetry units on writing using the senses. Herkert presents White's life as relatively untroubled, creating a harmonious feeling that may fill some readers with peace and may lull others to sleep. Castillo's friendly ink-and-watercolor illustrations also contribute to the sense of cheerful pleasantness. Curiously, while the text does elaborate on how and why White wrote Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, it makes no mention of The Trumpet of the Swan outside of the author's note. (The author's note also provides additional context and information on important dates, details, and awards.) VERDICT Herkert's poetry is a delight to the senses, though the overall package is on the slight side. A winsome picture book biography to pair with Melissa Sweet's Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White.-Kate Stadt, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The story of how E.B. White came to write two of his three classic children's books. Young Elwyn White, sick in bed, befriended a mouse. Later, "on a train one night in a dream," a "dapper" mouse dressed in a hat and carrying a cane appeared to Andy (the author's nickname since his college days at Cornell). When Andy moved to Maine, "he filled his barn with stoic sheep, anxious hens, and gossiping geese. But he still had a mouse on his mind." The mouse became Stuart Little. In an old boathouse, "with a mouse for company," Andy created a story about a pig and a spider, denizens of the "high-lofted barn" he had always dreamed of. And Charlotte's Web came to be. Herkert's elegant prose and Castillo's stunning brown ink-and-watercolor illustrations team up for a magnificent model of what a picture book can be. The double-page spreads are simply gorgeous: Elwyn's nighttime neighborhood, with yellow-amber house lights under a blue sky and crescent moon; a brown-toned New York City street scene followed by the pastoral beauty of Maine; and a breathtakingly beautiful barn scene, reminiscent of Garth Williams' original Charlotte's Web but this one in glowing colors. Though White's third classic, The Trumpet of the Swan, is only mentioned in the author's note, this is some book. A stunnerradiant even. (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
