Melissa Sweet (1) (1956–)

I received this book as an uncorrected proof from the publisher.

SOME PIG, Charlotte the spider’s praise for Wilbur, is just one fondly remembered snippet from E. B. White s "Charlotte s Web." In "Some Writer!," the two-time Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet mixes White s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell his story, from his birth in 1899 to his death in 1985. Budding young writers will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, "New show more Yorker" contributor, and children s book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute is the first fully illustrated biography of E. B. White and includes an afterword by Martha White, E. B. White's granddaughter.

I’m not much of one for reading non-fiction, but when I saw that A) there was going to be a new biography of E.B. White, and B) the illustrations were going to be innovative and brilliant, I knew I had to read it. This book did not disappoint. The narrative is informative and easy to follow, and the illustrations are eye candy. I was caught from the first page, and felt emotionally attached to the subject before reaching the midpoint of the book. As a huge fan of Charlotte’s Web, reading about the development and growth of that particular story was like getting to read the book itself for the first time all over again. I would whole-heartedly recommend this biography to any fan (young or old) of E.B. White and his books. show less

There's something that is especially compelling to me about a book that is both written and illustrated by one person. Balloons Over Broadway is such a story and Melissa Sweet is such an author/illustrator.

Sweet uses scraps to make her book, scraps of stories and scraps of real objects and even scraps of words, and these add an extra fun layer of realism to her gentle illustrations and tale. Sweet takes charge of the book, always surprising the reader by flipping the perspective and adding show more real maps and marionettes to the margins.

A wonderful book. show less

Can I love a book more? I don't think I can. This biography of E.B. White is a true delight! Melissa Sweet is both the author and the illustrator of this delightful book. The book takes the reader through White's entire life, from being a youngest of a large and loving family to taking a road trip out of college in a Model T all the way to Seattle to working for the New Yorker to writing Charlotte's Web, every stage of White's life helped inform who he was. Sweet's illustrations enhance her show more writing and bring forth the joy she clearly felt as she wrote about White. show less

Top 100 pick because:

Well written, keeps in touch with the whimsy and magic of Tony Sarg both in narrative and in illustrations. A fun read and thoroughly enjoyable. I also learned quite a bit about the origins of the Macy's day parade, even though I no longer watch it. The way Sweet developed the storyline and wove the illustrations and narrative together almost reminds me of the planning and care Tony put into his life and work.