Today I’m showcasing three very different picture books about famous poets: Elizabeth Bishop, William Carlos Williams, and Matsuo Basho. (You might also be interested in picture books about Emily Dickinson and Louise Bennett Coverley. And here are some poems by yours truly!)
A Pocket of Time: The Poetic Childhood of Elizabeth Bishop by Rita Wilson, illustrated by Emma FitzGerald (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019)
This sweet picture book is a journey through poet Elizabeth Bishop’s (1911-1979) childhood home and the town of Great Village, Nova Scotia. It uses many quotations from her writings to show how she observed the world around her, everything from reflections in a window and the family Bible to a horseshoe nail and the salt marshes. An introduction gives biographical information about Bishop to set the context for the book, which ends with a postscript, acknowledgements, bibliography, and references. The illustrations are a mix of simple, colourful drawings and collage. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant (illustrated by Melissa Sweet) (Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2008)
This chronological biography of American poet and doctor William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) is a story of doing what you love even if it isn’t your full-time job. The text of several of his poems are included and the scrapbook style illustrations (incorporating drawings, paintings, text, and documents) are a lot of fun. The book includes a timeline with poetry publication dates and world events, detailed author and illustrator’s notes, and a list for further reading. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.
Basho and the Fox by Tim Meyers, illustrated by Oki S. Han (Marshall Cavendish, 2000)
In this fictional tale of the great Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), a fox challenges him to write one good haiku and he ultimately learns “that a poem should be written for its own sake.” The story incorporates three haiku, including what is “probably the most famous haiku ever written.” This is a well told fable with lovely watercolour illustrations. It includes a short author’s preface, but no detailed information about Basho. Recommended for ages 6 to 10.