No doubt for many young adults, George Washington Carver’s name brings to mind only a spare remembrance from a history book or a photograph on a Black History Month poster. Some may be fortunate to have deeper knowledge of this greatly gifted man best known for his agricultural work as a botanist. Carver was also a painter, a musician, and a teacher and researcher at Tuskegee Institute during Booker T. Washington’s tenure. Carver was committed to improving the lives of others, especially poor Black farmers in the South. In this exquisite book of poems, Marilyn Nelson creates an extraordinary biography from more than the dates, events, relationships, and accomplishments in the life of George Washington Carver. She conjures his powerful presence as she writes of a life centered and made whole by deep religious faith, a passion for nature, a hunger for learning, and a heart of unmatched kindness from the time Carver was a small boy. In these poems, she gives voice to Carver and others in his life, and even to the world of nature where he found so much fascination and pleasure. The result leaves readers feeling they know Carver from the inside out. Honor Book, CCBC Coretta Scott King Author Award Discussion (Age 12 and older)

Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award finalist
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award

Beautiful verse explores agricultural scientist George Washington Carver's life and many achievements, from his work as a botanist and inventor to his unsung gifts as a painter, musician, and teacher.

George Washington Carver was determined to help the people he loved. Born a slave in Missouri, he left home in search of an education, eventually earning his master's degree. When Booker T. Washington invited Carver to start the agricultural department at the all-black-staffed Tuskegee Institute, Carver truly found his calling. He spent the rest of his life seeking solutions to the poverty among landless Black farmers by developing new uses for soil-replenishing crops such as peanuts, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes. This STEAM biography reveals Carver's complex and profoundly devout life.