“Once there was a little boy named Neftali, who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly.” Neftali grew up to become the poet Pablo Neruda. In this picture book account of Neruda’s life and work, Monica Brown describe this “poet of the people’s” love of small things and big ideas, of people and places in a lyrical narrative featuring scenes from Neruda’s life and poems. Brown also shows how Neruda’s gift as a poet was matched by his courage in refusing to be silenced when he spoke out against the government and for peace and justice in his native land of Chile, ideas that, like his poems, were embraced by people around the world. Julie Paschkis brings a colorful palette and bold vision to illustrations that incorporate Spanish words into the lush images. (Ages 5–10)

A stunning picture book biography from Monica Brown and illustrator Julie Paschkis about one of the world's most enduring and popular poets, Pablo Neruda

Once there was a little boy named Neftalí who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly. From the moment he could talk, he surrounded himself with words. Neftalí discovered the magic between the pages of books. When he was sixteen, he began publishing his poems as Pablo Neruda.

Pablo wrote poems about the things he loved—things made by his friends in the café, things found at the marketplace, and things he saw in nature. He wrote about the people of Chile and their stories of struggle. Because above all things and above all words, Pablo Neruda loved people.