Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Starred Review On the heels of her award-winning collaboration with Jen Bryant, The Right Word (2014), Sweet turns her attention to another notable wordsmith, E. B. White. With a particular focus on his idyllic childhood spent around lakes in Maine and his career as a writer and editor at the New Yorker, Sweet highlights White's affection for animals and the outdoors as well as his love of words, all of which directly influenced his writing for children. In particular, she zeroes in on the respite of his Maine farm, where he encountered the animals that would come to populate his most well-known work, Charlotte's Web. Sweet ties together elements of White's life in both pleasantly rambling prose and enchanting illustrations constructed from found objects, collage, and watercolor scenes. Photos, handwritten letters, early drafts, and other ephemera, along with artfully typed out quotes from White's work, are layered over each inviting page. White's story luctant about his rising fame, infamously shy, not especially ambitious but driven to pursue what he deeply enjoyed ideal for kids who relish staying out of the limelight. This beautiful piece of bookmaking with enchanting artwork will easily draw in young readers, and the warm account of the adored author will keep them turning pages.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 3-7 Throughout his life, E.B. White (1899–1985) divided his time between New York City and Belgrade Lakes in Maine. He drew inspiration for his books from the bucolic setting near author Sweet's own home and studio. Readers and writers will relate to stories of White's childhood—he was "scrawny" and "fearful" but in love with words. As a child, he contributed short pieces to magazines, winning awards for his studies of nature, dogs, and his family. Some of his youthful creations, such as essays, poetry, and a handmade brochure, are included. Readers may be surprised to find that "Andy" spent his adult years at The New Yorker working with writers like John Updike and James Thurber and that his most ubiquitous book may actually be The Elements of Style . Much of the information on White's adulthood is organized in the volume by his major children's publications. Portions of handwritten and typed drafts of Charlotte's Web will serve as inspiration for young writers. The book is illustrated in Sweet's signature watercolor and collage, which incorporates wood and hardware, vintage office supplies, and quotes from White. Detailed tableaux invite careful inspection and reward readers with connections to the subject's work. Photos of the author and the animals upon which he based his stories will delight readers. In addition to providing carefully chosen words and beautiful illustrations, the biography serves as a stealthy introduction to primary source material, and for the teacher librarian, the text is a rich source of nonfiction features, including a how-to on using a manual typewriter. An afterword by White's granddaughter is an added bonus. VERDICT Drop everything and share widely.— Deidre Winterhalter, Niles Public Library, IL

Horn Book

Salutations! Sweet raises her collage skills to new heights while bringing her love and admiration for E. B. White to the page. Just as her astounding collages blend materials that might have been found in a barn in Maine, the text carefully blends her words with those of the beloved writer. A fast-moving, thorough, deeply researched, and accessible biography. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In an illustrated biography that invites slow perusing, two-time Caldecott Honor-recipient Sweet (The Right Word) unspools the life of author E.B. White (1899-1985) in meticulously crafted, scrapbook-style pages. Her carefully assembled, whimsical collages feature watercolor illustrations, homemade paper, wood scraps, and maps merged with cartoons, family photographs, handwritten rough drafts, and other archival material. Over 13 chapters, Sweet recounts White-s near-idyllic childhood in New York state, his postcollege wanderlust, a writing career with the New Yorker and Harper-s magazine, and the acclaimed children-s books he created amid marriage and fatherhood. Aimed at elementary-school-age readers, this fond tribute will be best appreciated by those with some context for White-s classics, e.g., the title-s reference to Charlotte-s Web, though familiarity with his work isn-t required: Sweet gorgeously melds story and art to create a detailed portrait of White as an observant, humble, brilliant wordsmith with an affinity for nature. An author-s note, an afterword by White-s granddaughter, source notes, a selected bibliography, and a chronological list of his books conclude an excellent guide to the life of a celebrated writer. Ages 7-10. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)