A STORY IS TO SHARE

A biography of Ruth Krauss, doyen of children’s literature, told, aptly, in picture-book format.

Higgins chronicles Krauss’ life from childhood to early adulthood, covering the illnesses she endured, her experiences at summer camp, and her forays into painting and writing. For Krauss fans, the book may be heralded as a welcome acknowledgement of her work. However, for those less familiar with her and her canon, the title does little to introduce or discuss her creativity in a meaningful way; the book repeatedly states that she was a free thinker but only vaguely addresses how that was channeled into her writing. It’s not clear why others initially said “No that’s not good” about her work or how interacting with a young neighbor and other small children (depicted as racially diverse) helped her “[find] another way to tell a tale.” At times, the poetic language works against the biographical elements, such as when the book discusses Krauss’ childhood: “But sickness sticks around a lot / and steals her voice away— / so she wiggles-wiggles little fingers / that’s how she says hi / Like this.” The verse is elegant—as is Arsenault’s graceful, scribbly artwork—but implies a physical loss of voice and a sign-language skill that is not explained in the book’s author’s note (though her illnesses are briefly discussed there). The author’s note, a bibliography, and a list of Krauss’ work attempt to provide more substance but fall short. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Doesn’t quite do its subject justice.