Walt Whitman: Words for America

by Barbara Kerley

Book Review

Publishers Weekly :

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Starred Review. The creators of The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins open this innovative, intriguing biography with an anecdotal look at the poet's early years as a printer's apprentice in Brooklyn, where his love of words was born. By the age of 19, Walt was writing and printing his own newspaper. With a lyricism and an ardor that echoes Whitman's own, Kerley writes of his passion for both language and for "rambling," the latter luring him onto Manhattan's city streets ("in these ordinary Americans he saw the true spirit of the nation") as well as the countryside (in "every leaf and blade of grass, he felt America's grace and vigor"). The heart of this story centers on the wrenching though inspiring effects the Civil War had on Whitman who, too old to enlist in the Union army, traveled to Virginia to stay with his wounded younger brother, then spent years caring for other hospitalized, often dying soldiers—the source of some of his most memorable verse. The elegant design of the paper-over-board volume features a die-cut cover image of the poet that echoes the dust jacket of the original 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass, as well as text set in Whitman's favorite typeface (also used in Leaves) arranged in vertical or horizontal panels—or set directly into the art. Selznick's versatile illustrations encompass a stark realism (sepia-toned daguerreotypes of Civil War soldiers, based on actual photographs) and surreal whimsy (as Whitman walks in the country by moonlight, the sky above is filled with open notebooks bearing words from his writing). Copious quotes from his poems and correspondence let Whitman's eloquent voice resonate 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. Ages 7-10.

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School Library Journal :

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Starred Review. Gr 4 Up–An exuberant picture-book biography that focuses on Whitman's formative years and his selfless work as a Civil War nurse. Delightfully old-fashioned in design, its oversized pages are replete with graceful illustrations and snippets of poetry. The brilliantly inventive paintings add vibrant testimonial to the nuanced text. Kerley likens the poet's restless energy to the nation itself: "Walt wrote poems as free-ranging as his big robust country. More than anything, he hoped to become the voice of America." When the conflict begins, the artist supplies a somber-hued gallery of soldiers posed in their uniforms. As the war wears on, Kerley notes the fondness Whitman held for his embattled president, whom he'd often see on the streets of the capital. Forced to return home because of his health, he heard news of the war's end, and a few days later, of Lincoln's death. Kerley observes that at this point Whitman turned again to poetry to help himself, along with the nation, resolve his grief and turn toward peace and rebuilding. There are several excellent biographies for older readers that serve the needs of report writers. Libraries will want to add this unabashedly glowing tribute as well for the infectious zeal both author and illustrator bring to their subject and his writings, excerpts of which can be found woven seamlessly into the text and the art.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

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Gr. 4-8. Although Whitman is most known for poetry "as free-ranging as his big, robust country," much of this treatment focuses on the writer's Civil War experiences providing company and small comforts to wounded soldiers. Lines of poetry elucidate Whitman's thoughts about the war, with the full text of the poems or sections of poems appearing at book's end. It's no surprise that this hasn't the instant appeal of Kerley and Selznick's The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Watkins (2002). The vicissitudes of a poet's life are of less inherent interest to young readers than dinosaur bones, and what whisper of excitement there is in Whitman's biography, Kerley downplays by focusing on his war-scarred twilight years rather than his reverberating "barbaric yawp" against starchy literary tradition. Like his collaborator's narrative, though, Selznick's contributions reflect a keen passion for research, right down to the subtle references to early editions of Leaves of Grass in the book's typeface and design. Try this sophisticated offering on readers who won't quail at the lengthy text and who will be less likely to skip the dense, illuminating endnotes. Younger readers may profit more from the more straightforward presentation of Whitman's words in Loren Long's excellent When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer, reviewed on p.583.

JenniferMattson.

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