Naughty Boy

Poem by John Keats / Illustrations by Grant Silverstein / 54-page paperback / 8.5" x 11" / ISBN 9781589881624 / Publication Date: 3/22/2022

There was a naughty boy
A naughty boy was he
For nothing would he do
But scribble poetry

John Keats wrote “There was a naughty boy” in a letter to his younger sister in 1818. It is the word and sound play of a young man who would become one of the immortals of English poetry. Grant Silverstein’s wonderfully spirited illustrations bring the classic poem to life for young kids and their grown-ups. For ages 4-8.

"Slighter, jollier, and sweeter than much of the Keats corpus, the poem is illustrated with delicate watercolor sketches in green and sepia on white space (these come across as long-cherished memories or dreams) interspersed with full-bleed pages of impressionistic full-color art that introduce each of the poem’s four stanzas. The lively illustrations incorporate vignettes, montages, and continuous narration . . . Silverstein resists the temptation of modernizing the poem for contemporary audiences, instead opting for a timeless aesthetic that recalls European illustration of the golden age of children’s literature . . . A fine, child-friendly introduction to Keats by way of one of his most accessible works."—Kirkus Reviews 

John Keats (1795-1821) was an English Romantic poet. He published just three volumes of poetry during his short life, but his fame grew after his death. Today he is remembered as one of England's greatest poets.

Grant Silverstein is an American artist who specializes in etchings of a narrative character and in studies of figures, landscapes, and animals. He has illustrated three previous Paul Dry Books titles: The Battle Between the Frogs and the Mice, Davey McGravy, and The Verb 'To Bird.' Silverstein lives in rural Pennsylvania.