Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder -- Erin Frankel, Hardcover

This lyrical picture book biography of beloved American poet Mary Oliver shows young readers ages 7 - 10 how her love of nature and sense of wonder inspired her art.

Young Mary Oliver was enthralled by nature. In the forest, she wondered about the birds and the lilies and the water in the stream--about all the things that cannot speak yet somehow spoke to Mary. She wondered, too, about poetry, about how words pieced together filled her with light and how some poems felt like they were written just for her. How could this be?

Author Erin Frankel shows how Mary Oliver held on to that sense of wonder from her childhood, channeling it into some of the most beloved poems of the past hundred years. Illustrator Jasu Hu's lush nature scenes beautifully complement Frankel's soulful writing about the creative process. Together text and art honor Mary Oliver and her astonishing poetry.

Author: Erin Frankel
Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
Published: 10/14/2025
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9781662680823
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2025

About the Author
Erin Frankel is a children's book author who loves telling stories of empathy and wonder. Her picture books include Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder, A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, the Weird! series and Remembering Barkley. She enjoys visiting schools to talk to students about stories and kindness. She lives with her family in Pittsburgh, where she writes, teaches, and hopes.

Jasu Hu is the illustrator of the picture books All You Need by Howard Schwartz and Wintergarden by Janet Fox. Her art has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post, and her poster "Moonlight Moment" was displayed on the New York City subway in 2018 and 2019.