McCarthy, Cory. Hope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2022.
A poet. An artist. A storyteller. An essayist. A philosopher. Born into a Lebanese Maronite Christian family in 1883, Kahlil Gibran came to America with his mother and siblings in 1895. Sent back to study Arabic in Beruit when he was fifteen, he moved to Paris to study painting when he was eighteen. In 1910, he returned to the US, where his literary fame grew. Attracted to Islam, Sufism, and Jungian psychology, his writing was nonetheless greatly influenced by the King James Bible. Although he died almost 100 years ago, his work continues to be published. The Prophet has not been out of print for over 100 years.
This picture book biography – vibrantly illustrated by Ekua Holmes – retells the story of Gibran’s complex life in a clear, easy-to-follow style suitable for reading aloud to listeners as young as six but informative enough – with extensive notes at the end – to provide a fascinating introduction for readers of any age. Highly recommended.
“We are the seeds of the tenacious plant, and it is in our ripeness and our fullness of heart that we are given to the wind and are scattered.”
P.S. Always watch for picture books published by Candlewick. They are invariably beautiful.
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