With gentle reverence and eloquence, Jennifer Berne (On a Beam of Light) introduces young readers to Emily Dickinson in this winsome picture book biography. Alternating between the poet's work and her own lyrical prose, Berne illustrates the challenges and discoveries that defined Dickinson and led her to a life of words.
Berne's approach to On Wings of Words is seemingly designed to help young readers identify with Dickinson by encouraging questions and self-reflection. It seems unlikely anyone would not want to "mount a grasshopper and gallop around the world." And who among us has not "explored with her eyes, her ears, her thoughts--"? The combination of vivid imagery and an empathetic subject invites young minds to a time and place they might not ordinarily choose to visit. Berne gently and positively exposes readers to an often-intimidating genre through the integration of Dickinson's poetry, which emphasizes its power to convey feeling and experience.
Accompanying Berne's narration are the atmospheric illustrations of Becca Stadtlander (illustrator Made by Hand). Using gouache and watercolor, Stadtlander makes visual the world and imagination of Dickinson, such as a butterfly-winged Emily to showcase "butterflies that were poems that flew... on wings of words." Much like Dickinson's poems, the rich, detailed illustrations are full of vibrant and improbable life. The combination of Berne's writing and Stadtlander's paintings emphasizes the magic of poetry as it represents the life of a master of the art. On Wings of Words is a visually stimulating introduction to an amazing poet. --Jen Forbus, freelancer