Of Words & Water, from Reycraft Books, Tells the Story of Wilma Dykeman and the River She Sought to Protect
The nonfiction picture book spotlights the author-environmentalist and her efforts to save the waterway she loved and the community that depended upon it.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY, TKTKTKTK—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books is proud to present Of Words & Water: The Story of Wilma Dykeman—Writer, Historian, Environmentalist, a nonfiction picture book by award-winning author Shannon Hitchcock and innovative illustrator Sophie Page. Published on April 16, 2024, the book takes readers on an inspiring journey through the life of writer Wilma Dykeman, whose love for the French Broad River, near her childhood home in North Carolina, led to her crusade to protect the waterway and the surrounding community from pollution.
“Wilma was a woman ahead of her time,” Hitchcock said. “She wrote about water pollution in the 1950s, well before it was on the radar of the general population.”
Dykeman’s first book, 1955’s The French Broad, provided a history of the river and included a chapter about the nearby businesses and residents that were dumping waste into it. She argued that a polluted river was ultimately far more costly to the region than the financial expenditures it would take to clean it up. A clean river, Dykeman noted, would help attract new businesses and boost tourism, making it possible to protect the environment while also protecting jobs. Her publisher urged her to drop the chapter, considering it too controversial, but Dykeman refused—and ultimately prevailed. The French Broad, along with Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides, helped to inspire environmental activism that resulted in the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and passage of the Clean Water Act.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shannon Hitchcock was born in North Carolina and grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of four middle grade novels: Flying Over Water, One True Way, Ruby Lee & Me, and The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. Her books have been featured on many state award lists and have received critical acclaim. Shannon currently lives in North Carolina, where she can see the mountains every day.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Sophie Page is a mixed media artist known for her 3D diorama illustrations, expressive pencil drawings, and ceramic products. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design illustration program in 2014. To date Sophie has illustrated four children’s picture books. In 2016 she co-founded Plum Press with fellow RISD grads and has since published numerous art books through Plum and other small presses. Sophie also runs an online shop, selling art prints and ceramic sculptures.
Hitchcock said she was inspired to write a book about Dykeman after learning that Dykeman was a native of Asheville, NC, where Hitchcock now lives. “I read a couple of articles about her in local publications and was intrigued enough to read a book of her essays and one of her novels,” she explained. In telling Dykeman’s story, Hitchcock said, “I want people to take away from this book the messages to be good to the earth, be kind to other people, and use words to fight injustice.”
In creating the illustrations for the book, Page used a mix of diorama, drawing, and collage, which involved creating characters out of clay and photographing cut paper and watercolor mountain backgrounds. “The most exciting part was creating dimensional cut paper rivers,” she said. “The motif of water flows through the book, and I got to experiment with different textures and ways to express that.”
Of Words & Water marks the fourth book by Hitchcock and Page in their series for Reycraft about notable storytellers from the Appalachian region. The duo previously collaborated on Saving Granddaddy’s Stories: Ray Hicks, the Voice of Appalachia; She Sang for the Mountains: The Story of Singer, Songwriter, Activist Jean Ritchie; and Story Quilts: Appalachian Women Speak.
ABOUT REYCRAFT BOOKS: Reycraft Books partners with award-winning and up-and-coming authors and illustrators, primarily from underrepresented communities, to provide high-quality books that delight, inform, and honor the voice and vision of all children. Founded in 2019, the imprint publishes authentic stories—engaging picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, graphic novels, and more—that build knowledge, perspective, and connection, meeting the diverse needs of children, families, and educators.