A classic American poem, hauntingly illustrated by Ryan Price.
There are several poems that I read to my children each year: The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, The Wreck of Hesperus by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and, our absolute favorite poem, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
The Raven was originally published in 1845 in the New York Evening Mirror. It has since been hailed by many as the most famous American poem, and it is often the only poem read out loud during Halloween celebrations and get-togethers.
School children learn about Edgar Allan Poe and The Raven during their elementary years. Teachers usually have children design posters or book covers for the poem, reading The Raven to them over and over until they forever remember the haunting “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’”
While reading and listening to The Raven is an awesome experience, imagine a book that is a visual and frenzied dive into the human psyche. The Raven, part of the Visions In Poetry series and illustrated by Ryan Price, takes you to that night, that rapping on the chamber door, and holds you spellbound, entranced, until that last crazed moment of “Nevermore.”
Ryan Price’s artistic rendering of The Raven has left me in awe. I’ve never encountered an illustrated poem with such raw emotion, one that, with each page turning, draws you deeper and deeper into the poet’s madness.
The Raven, illustrated by Ryan Price (Kids Can Press, ISBN 1-55337-473-8), is the book to buy for gift-giving. It’s classy, beautifully bound, the illustrations are incredible, and it is a book that will be treasured for a lifetime.
