A Home for Mr. Emerson - Hardcover

Barbara Kerley's award-winning biographies--including WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?, THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY), and THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, and THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS and WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA, both illustrated by Brian Selznick--are consistently praised for their lively prose, meticulous research, and artistic presentation style. Kerley lives in Portland, Oregon. You can learn more about her online at www.barbarakerley.com.

Edwin Fotheringham has illustrated several award-winning picture book biographies, including Barbara Kerley's WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?, THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY), and THOSE REBELS, JOHN & TOM. He is also the illustrator of Shana Corey’s MERMAID QUEEN and Pam Munoz Ryan's TONY BALONEY, as well as a new TONY BALONEY reading series, beginning with TONY BALONEY SCHOOL RULES. Edwin lives in Seattle, Washington. You can learn more about him online at www.edfotheringham.com.

Gr 2–4—This introduction to the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson will help readers begin to understand the thoughts and values of this great American thinker. Emerson grows up in Boston, but yearns to make a life closer to nature where he can surround himself with books and friends. He finds a perfect home in Concord, Massachusetts, where he and his wife raise a family. Emerson eagerly becomes a part of the community, even playing the role of hog reeve, gathering up the town's runaway pigs. After collecting his thoughts in journals, Emerson begins traveling across the country to lecture, attracting visitors from around the world to his doorstep. A house fire later in his life devastates Emerson, but allows the town to demonstrate their affection for him as they rebuild his home. Emerson, who is likely little known to younger students, is brought to life in an approachable biography. The colorful depictions of Emerson are warm, cheerful, and full of movement. Children will love the cartoonlike illustrations that make Emerson seem like a superhero as he dives into oversized books and flies through the sky on another giant tome. Quotes from his writings are liberally used to illuminate moments of his life, allowing readers to get to know the man through his own words. The author's note provides further information about Emerson and his philosophy of thought. An eye-catching, kid-friendly biography that is a wonderful addition to any collection.—Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT