A gently worded, soft-hued picture book shows how Dr. Williams’s patient, African American Thaddeus Marshall, served as the inspiration for his famous short poem about the red wheelbarrow. Lisa Rogers spins out fascinating information about William Carlos Williams and his medical practice, as she shows him going through his daily work, pausing in spare moments to observe the things and people around him that often inspired his poems. The pacing and the rhythm of her text is perfect, particularly as she describes the doctor at work by contrasting his activities with those of Thaddeus Marshall. The muted illustrations give a sense of both the gentle spirit of the poet and of the rainy day that is such an important backdrop to the poem. Williams’s poems, particularly “The Red Wheelbarrow” and “This Is Just to Say,” are already familiar to many children, whether through other children’s books or poetry units. In addition to giving young readers some biographical information on the poet, the book also introduces them to the process he used to write, especially addressing the common question: “Where do you get your ideas?” (Ages 5–9)