River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams

I was drawn to this book not only because it would be a resource for my Language Arts class, but also because of the unique illustrations.  The book will be a wonderful introduction to the poet William Carlos Williams.  Jen Bryant has written a concise and clever biography of one of my favorite poets.  Willie, as she called him in her book, was always interested in poetry; however, he chose to become a doctor because he knew poetry wouldn't pay the bills. 

I love that he continued to write despite the fact poetry wasn't lucrative.  Following one's passion is an important lesson for young people.  Money, while important, certainly isn't everything!

Melissa Sweet's illustrations, created as paintings on pages and covers of discarded books, are gorgeous.  Within her illustrations one finds Williams's words.  There is so much to observe and learn on each page.  I've read the book several times and still find something new to look at on each page.

I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my students!  I hope that they will enjoy William Carlos Williams's poetry as much as I do!