Silent Days Silent Dreams

A beautifully illustrated story that introduces the life and work of James Castle, an artist who deserves to be a household name. Say’s illustrations do a fantastic job of showing off Castle’s work while letting his own artistic talent shine through. Recommended By Elizabeth H., Powells.com

Nothing stopped James Castle from becoming an artist. He had difficulty making friends, so he made them out of cardboard. He slept in a bare attic. But he filled it with visions of the cozy bed and room he longed for. They took away his art materials. So he made art from soot and paper from the trash. He could not hear and he never learned to speak. And yet he created art that speaks to us still.

This tribute to one of America's most original artists comes from the imagination of one of America's most beloved children's book illustrators, Allen Say. Together they will inspire a new generation of artists to overcome whatever obstacles they encounter.

Allen Say was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937. He dreamed of becoming a cartoonist from the age of six, and, at age 12, apprenticed himself to his favorite cartoonist, Noro Shinpei. For the next four years, Say learned to draw and paint under the direction of Noro, who has remained Say's mentor.

Say illustrated his first children's book — published in 1972 — in a photo studio between shooting assignments. For years, Say continued writing and illustrating children's books on a part-time basis. But in 1987, while illustrating The Boy of the Three Year Nap, winner of the 1989 Caldecott Honor, he recaptured the joy he had known as a boy working in his master's studio. It was then that Say decided to make a full commitment to doing what he loves best: writing and illustrating children's books.

Since then he has written and illustrated many books, including Grandfather's Journey, winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal, Tree of Cranes, Allison, and most recently Tea With Milk, The Sign Painter, and Home of the Brave.