There were several different biographies of Pablo Neruda on the shelf, so I thought I'd compare them and I'm glad I did. This one is even better than the first one (which I also liked); the illustrations are just gorgeous, and sections of Neruda's poetry and prose are blended into the narrative text. It's lovely. ( )

This book tells of how Pablo Neruda became one of the most renowned poets of Latin America. He was inspired by his natural surroundings and a teacher who believed in him.

Fascinating & beautifully illustrated book about Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. ( )

Pairing selections from the poet's autobiographical writing with her own narrative, Deborah Kogan Ray - whose other biographical picture-books include such titles as Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw and Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer - tells the story of Pablo Neruda's youth in To Go Singing Through the World. Chronicling the shy young boy's childhood in the Chilean frontier-town of Temuco, his loving relationship with his step-mother, who introduced him to the stories of Chile's indigenous people (she was Mapuche herself), it also highlights the early years of his life-long friendship with fellow poet Gabriela Mistral, who was the principal of the girls' division of his school, and who became his mentor.

I enjoyed both the dual-strand narrative and the artwork in this book, and was struck by how all three combine flawlessly to capture the intensity of a young Neruda's feelings, and his inward-drawn early life. How interesting that such a phenomenally gifted poet, someone known for his strong voice (even if only his literary voice), was so quiet and withdrawn, as a child. Ray's book makes you feel that it is this very solitude that created the poet - an idea I find rather appealing. After all, before one can truly communicate, one must understand, and listening and observation play such an important part in building understanding. In any case, this is just an immensely engaging biography of an important figure in world literature, and is a book I would recommend to all young poets, and fans of Pablo Neruda. ( )

Biography about the poet, Pablo Neruda. Recounts his childhood growing up in Chile and the difficulties of meeting the many people who passed through his town unable to speak his language. A dedicated teacher opened up the world to Pablo by teaching him to read and encouraged his writing. Interspersed with narrative are verses from Neruda's poetry. Soft illustrations in vibrant colors capture Neruda's Latin American roots. Grades 4-6.