Rebekah Reads: Silent Days, Silent Dreams Book Review February 5, 2021

 Silent Days, Silent Dreams

by Allen Say

TISSUE WARNING: Read this book with a handkerchief of tissue.

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Allen Say has long been one of the author's I appreciate; but, he has outdone himself, yet again, in this compelling picture book depicting the life of artist James Castle.

About the Book

Title: Silent Days, Silent Dreams

Author: Allen Say

Date: 2017

Reading Lexile Level: 790L

Readers: Ages 8-12

Read Aloud: Ages 6-12

James Castle was born two months premature on September 25, 1899, on a farm in Garden Valley, Idaho. He was deaf, mute, autistic, and probably dyslexic. He didn't walk until he was four; he would never learn to speak, write, read, or use sign language. Yet, today Castle's artwork hangs in major museums throughout the world. The Philadelphia Museum of Art opened "James Castle: A Retrospective" in 2008. The 2013 Venice Biennale included eleven works by Castle in the feature exhibition "The Encyclopedic Palace." And his reputation continues to grow. Caldecott Medal winner Allen Say, author of the acclaimed memoir Drawing from Memory, takes readers through an imagined look at Castle's childhood, allows them to experience his emergence as an artist despite the overwhelming difficulties he faced, and ultimately reveals the triumphs that he would go on to achieve.

My Thoughts
Today, I came home from a medical treatment and needed to rest. The phone, email, and TEAMS messaging kept sounding off keeping me from resting, so I read a book. 

It is difficult to say how much I love this book on the first read. Allen Say brings you into the life of James Castle, shows you what he sees and how he feels. The portrayal of life from James Castle's perspective is the most powerful tool of this book. Filled with art similar to Castle's own art, the reader learns the story of Castle's life through both the text and the visuals. 

You will love this story if you, like me, ever had a friend or loved one who could not hear. I could see my friend on these pages and I cried. This really is a lovely book and I highly recommend it. Spend time examining the illustrations and be sure to read the author's note at the end. 

You will like this book if you like compelling stories, narratives, biographies, artists, or picture books.

Be sure to check out the James Castle Collection and Archive and share James Castle with the artists in your home.