Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People

This simple, beautifully illustrated biography of folk legend Woody Guthrie is also a social history of the tough times he lived in. Bonnie Christensen has a folksy yet elegant painting style reminiscent of woodblock work, and the muted blues and browns are enormously evocative of a tragic family history, a hardscrabble life in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, and of a boy kept afloat by hope, compassion, and sheer musical talent. The story takes us all the way to Guthrie's relatively settled life as a married man with kids on Coney Island's Mermaid Avenue. It's a pity, perhaps, that the book encompasses the lyrics of only Guthrie's most famous song, "This Land Is Your Land." But it's the kind of story that sends a reader scurrying for more lyrics---and tapes, of course--and perhaps a borrowed guitar. (Ages 6 to 12) --Richard Farr