“The Curious Story of Edward Gorey,” is a lovely picture book biography about the life of a most creative writer and artist!  Edward Gorey was born in Chicago in 1925 and as a child loved to scribble and sketch. He went to Harvard where Edward followed his own rules  “so different from the campus crowds that passed him by in stuffy white shirts and ties.” Moving to NYC in in 1953 he worked in the art department of a big publisher. Tiring of working on other people’s stories , he began to write his own  some of which had “odd and unfortunate endings.” In Edward’s stories, anything might happen!  HIs  his work was continually rejected by publishers so he launched his own publishing company Fantod Press .  Edward believed people should use their imaginations to figure out his stories. He particularly enjoyed making anagrams of his own name: such as,  Odgred Weary, Dreary Wodge, and Wee Graddory.  It would be the “height of folly” to take his work seriously, said Edward.  It was just Edward being Edward, with a hatful of nonsense thrown in.  The story is written from Edward’s point of view.

The illustrations in this book by Chloe Bristol compliment the story well. She uses pen and ink drawings and they nicely reflect  a feeling of the time period in which Edward lived. .

A great resource to use when studying “interesting and creative ” people or when doing a unit on biographies.  Also good for  encouraging  children to pursue their own dreams and  to be  proud of who they are!  Indeed Edward Gorey was an interesting man who enjoyed making “Nonsense.”

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME