Welcome back to Smarty Books, a monthly newsletter featuring smart and sweet picture books to inspire young readers. (5 minute read)
I am so excited about today’s book, 16 Words: William Carlos Williams and “The Red Wheelbarrow,” by Lisa Rogers. For me as a student and writer of poetry, it’s hard to top a picture book that explores the creation of one of the best poems ever written.
If you’re not familiar with “The Red Wheelbarrow,” here it is on Poetry Foundation. It’s only sixteen words long : )
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Summary
16 Words: William Carlos Williams and “The Red Wheelbarrow” centers around the lives of two men going about their daily work: physician William Carlos Williams and gardener Thaddeus Marshall. Both men rely on different tools in their work. Throughout the book, we see how Williams uses his observation skills to write about the world around him. At the end, the two men come together when Williams treats Marshall, and, looking out the window side by side, they observe the scene that Williams captures in “The Red Wheelbarrow.”
Why I love this book
The text of 16 Words is written with beautifully descriptive yet accessible language.
The view of work emphasizes how much care people put into what they do.
Delightful illustrations by Chuck Groenink create a strong sense of place.
The process of writing poetry is difficult to explain. This book would make a great mentor text for elementary students on how to write poetry by using your observation skills and paying attention to the images in your daily life.
The back matter tells the story of how Williams started writing poetry and provides a list of poems for readers who want to see more of his work.
Author Interview
Lisa Rogers is the author of 16 Words. She shares the secrets of her research process below.
Sarah W: What was the genesis of 16 Words?
Lisa Rogers: My "Aha!" moment came at the breakfast table over The New York Times. It was July, so I was on summer break and had time to read the newspaper. I was excited to see an article about the man who owned the wheelbarrow in William Carlos Williams' famous 16-word poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow,"—that's not what Williams titled it, but how it's known.
I have a BA and MA in English and have loved reading poetry since I was young, so I knew the poem and had even taught it to my first-grade classes along with other Williams poems. But somehow I never had a concrete idea of who might have owned the wheelbarrow. What stunned me was that Thaddeus Marshall not only owned and used the wheelbarrow to support his family, but that he was a patient of Williams, the physician-poet. That emotion caused me to want to know more about these two men, their relationship to each other, and how the poem came to be.
Sarah W: What did you enjoy most about working on it?
Lisa Rogers: I loved doing the research for this book. I met with the borough historian of Rutherford, N.J., where both men lived. My extensive research included poring over census data and draft records. I learned that only Mr. Marshall and his son Milton lived in the house at the time the poem was written. I learned Milton Marshall's height and weight (and even that he had a scar from having his appendix out) and that he worked as a railroad porter.
I shared information like that with illustrator Chuck Groenink, who also did much research. I went to Rutherford and walked between the two men's homes and to other sites that were part of their experience in the community. In the Rutherford Museum, I saw the tools that Williams used in his doctoring and the straw hat he wore. And the best part was meeting Thaddeus Marshall's great-granddaughter, who actually lived in the family home and told me that her great-grandfather's bedroom would have looked out into the garden.
Knowing that Thaddeus was elderly and hadn't listed himself on the census as employed, and that Williams, who made house calls, wrote the poem looking out the window at the wheelbarrow, enabled Chuck Groenink to create the book's heart-rending final scene.
When I read 16 Words aloud, I still choke up every time I get to that part.
Sarah W: What was it like meeting Teresa Marshall Hale?
Lisa Rogers: I couldn't believe that I was speaking to the person who had a direct line to this wonderful man! Teresa so generously shared her time, memories, and pride in her family as well as a family tree. She also shared a beautiful photo of Thaddeus Marshall, standing in front of his garden, wearing a suit and a proud bearing. When I look at him, I can understand the depth of feeling in Williams' poem.
Sarah W: What's next for you?
Lisa Rogers: I'm intrigued about how creative people come to develop their passions. What are their inspirations? What leads them to express themselves in a particular way? How does what they've created resonate?
That's how I came to one of my upcoming picture book biographies, "Woody's Words: 'Woodrow Wilson Rawls and 'Where the Red Fern Grows,'" when I read his classic book about a boy and his two hounds. I didn't read it as a child, but when one of my students told me how much he loved it and assumed I had, too, I went home that day with the book. I was astonished at the beauty of Rawls' writing and even more so when I learned that he had no formal education. Again, I had an emotional "Aha!" moment—I needed to know what inspired him to write. His story is absolutely amazing, and thanks to his persistence and to his wife, Sophie, we have two of his beautiful books to cherish.
More about Lisa Rogers
Lisa Rogers became inspired to write for children during her career as an elementary school librarian. Her award-winning titles include 16 Words (Schwartz & Wade) and Hound Won't Go (Albert Whitman). She coauthored Discover Her Art: Women Artists and Their Masterpieces (Chicago Review Press). She's a contributor to several poetry anthologies, including the forthcoming If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility (Candlewick, 2024). Six picture book biographies are forthcoming, including Woody's Words: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and "Where the Red Fern Grows" (Astra/Calkins Creek, 2025). She runs, writes poetry, and paints near Boston.
Find Lisa on Instagram and Twitter at @LisaLJRogers and on her website lisarogerswrites.com.
16 Words was published in 2019 by Schwartz & Wade. It is a Junior Library Guild Selection.
April News
My picture book ¿Dónde está Diego? (Where is Diego?) with TPRS Books should be off to print this month. Here’s a synopsis:
Diego the chameleon enjoys sunbathing outside his cage, but he will have to be quick if he’s going to make it back inside before Blanca the cat nabs him. Luckily for Diego, he can change color!
On this I-spy adventure, Spanish-language learners will practice color words and ask and answer the question “¿Dónde está?”
Here’s a link to my books for Spanish-language learners. Each one has a sample available.
Happy reading until we meet again!
— Sarah
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