Reviewed with S. L. Berry's
William Carlos Williams.
Gr. 5-9. These attractive, picture-book-size biographies in the Voices in Poetry series combine striking visuals, excerpts from the poets' works, and concise, straightforward narratives. Both follow their subjects from childhood through their artistic careers, and each section includes poems that illustrate and expand the biographical information. The unusual images are particularly attention grabbing, beginning with the poets' own handwriting reproduced on each title's cover. Inside, personal photographs mix with reproduced manuscripts and striking illustrations that interpret the poetry without being too literal. Kirkpatrick's text, which defines basic literary terms, seems geared toward a slightly younger audience than Berry's, and both texts are so abbreviated that readers needing research support will find better sources elsewhere. Still, the books offer visually exciting introductions to major American poets for students' browsing and for introductory use in the classroom. Picture and poetry credits are noted, but there is no other documentation. Gillian Engberg
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