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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

“Once there was a little boy named Neftali, who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly.” Neftali grew up to become the poet Pablo Neruda. In this picture book account of Neruda’s life and work, Monica Brown describe this “poet of the people’s” love of small things and big ideas, of people and places in a lyrical narrative featuring scenes from Neruda’s life and poems. Brown also shows how Neruda’s gift as a poet was matched by his courage in refusing to be silenced when he spoke out against the government and for peace and justice in his native land of Chile, ideas that, like his poems, were embraced by people around the world. Julie Paschkis brings a colorful palette and bold vision to illustrations that incorporate Spanish words into the lush images. (Ages 5–10)

CCBC Choices 2012 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2012. Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

March 1, 2022

Gr 1-3As a child, Neftal� Reyes Basoalto appreciated and loved the beauty of the world around him. He began to write poems about the things he loved, using the pseudonym Pablo Neruda to avoid reproach from his father. As Neruda grew and his poems began to reach people all over the world, he used his words to shine a light on the injustice in Chile and the difficult lives of its people. Because of the attention this brought to leaders in his country, the poet was forced to flee his home, but he continued to share these stories with the world. Vibrant illustrations overflow with color and bring Neruda's world to life. Each page features words and names of poets and writers that appear to rise out of the mountains, roads, trees, seas, and homes. The bilingual text perfectly conveys Neruda's wish to help the children of Chile, and is a revelatory journey into his life, interests, and search for justice. VERDICT An excellent choice for collections for children.-Selenia Paz

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

December 20, 2010
This gentle tribute to Chilean poet Neruda explores his formative experiences, from searching for "beetles and birds' eggs" in the forest to discovering his love for books. Paschkis incorporates Spanish and English words into her organic, stylized compositions (the opening scene features a literal river of words), while Brown lyrically chronicles Neruda's poetic subjects ("He wrote about buttons and feathers and shoes and hats. He wrote about velvet cloth the color of the sea") and highlights his devotion to the poor and suffering. Readers may not gain a real sense of Neruda's work from this collaboration, but Brown and Paschkis paint a compelling portrait of a man who saw the world as a joyful, complex, and beautiful poem waiting to be unveiled. Ages 1—4.