From the opening welcome of "Greetings, Dear Reader!" this clever biography invites children to share the experiences and influences that shaped the unique creative output of writer and illustrator Edward Gorey. From a precocious boy who taught himself to read, to an army clerk, and then an eccentric Harvard student, Edward wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life ("Alas and alack, he did not"), but through it all, he wrote. It wasn't until working in a publisher's art department that Edward began writing and illustrating his own books. Although everyone was not a fan of his "odd and unfortunate endings," Edward "liked writing and illustrating stories that made readers uneasy." Dark hues and elongated figures pair comfortably with a distinctive conversational narrative, working together to capture Edward Gorey's sensibility as a writer and artist while celebrating his singular intersection of silly and sinister. (Ages 6-10)

A beautifully illustrated and lyrical picture-book biography of eccentric and beloved writer and artist Edward Gorey

In this lyrical biography of one of literature's most creepily creative authors and illustrators, kids will learn about the inspiration behind a generation of creators, from Lemony Snicket to Tim Burton.

Known for, among other things, wearing a large fur coat wherever he went, storyteller Edward Gorey was respected for both his brilliance and his eccentricity. As a child, he taught himself to read and skipped several grades before landing at Harvard (after a brief stint in the army). Then he built a name for himself as a popular book illustrator. After that, he went on to publish well over one hundred of his own books, stories that mingled sweetness and innocence, danger and darkness, all mixed with his own brand of silliness. Illustrated with Gorey-like humor and inspiration by Chloe Bristol, this stunning picture book biography about this beloved creator is the first for children.