To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda - Hardcover

Ray, Deborah Kogan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374376271 ISBN 13: 9780374376277

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2006

Synopsis

Pablo Neruda grew up in the rough and wild frontier town of Temuco, Chile. His father was a railroad man and not inclined to draw out the introspective boy. However, his stepmother, descended from the Mapuche people, was gentle and nurturing and told him stories of Chile's native people. But in her husband's presence, she was as silent as Pablo. So the child found refuge in nature and in books. And secretly he wrote down his thoughts. With the encouragement of Gabriela Mistral, an award-winning poet, teacher, and friend, Neruda's writing grew resonant and powerful. At age sixteen he left Temuco for the university in Santiago and went on to become the "people's poet" and to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
 
Blending her telling of Neruda's childhood with excerpts from his own poetry and prose, Ms. Ray captures the people and places that inspired him in her rich watercolor illustrations.

About this title

About the Author

DEBORAH KOGAN RAY is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed children's books, including The Flower Hunter: William Bartram, America's First Naturalist, an NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children. She lives in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Intermingling excerpts from the poet's writings with her own well-written prose, Ray has created an appealing look at the people and events that both propelled Neruda toward his writing career and shaped his political ideals. She focuses primarily on two influential women: his stepmother who, raising him from infancy after his mother's death, was–in his own words–the guardian angel of his childhood, and Gabriela Mistral, principal of the girls' division of his school and a noted poet in her own right. The former introduced him to his Chilean heritage, telling him stories of the indigenous peoples and instilling in him a love of the rain forest. The latter recognized his talent and introduced him to the art of poetry, in which he found his true voice. Ray's realistic craypas and charcoal illustrations beautifully bring his world to life. From the varied monochromatic hues of the lush rain forest to the brilliant colors of the Chilean marketplace, the evocative art captures both the activity of the developing town and the tranquility of nature. The story concludes with an English and Spanish transcription of Neruda's poem about how poetry captured his soul. An author's note, biographical sketches of Neruda and Mistral, and a chronology help to frame the story. An excellent introduction to the human face of poetry.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0374376271
• ISBN 13: 9780374376277
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40