Reviewed by: Words to My Life's Song Deborah Stevenson Bryan, Ashley. Words to My Life's Song; written and illus. by Ashley Bryan and illus. with photographs by Bill McGuinness. Atheneum, 2009 [58p] ISBN 978-1-4169-0541-7$18.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7 Legendary illustrator Ashley Bryan offers a peek into his life in this compact photobiography. Two different narratives interweave here, with Bryan's life history, covering his youth, artistic coming of age, and career as illustrator, counterpointed by a present-tense narration that invites the reader along with Bryan on a descriptive walk around the Maine island where he makes his home. Between the two different narratives and the tendency for visual excerpts from Bryan's books to occupy intervening spreads, the organization is somewhat confusing, but the primary story of Bryan's life remains fascinating. His voice is lively yet courteous and thoughtful, and his account is shot through with affection for his family and friends and evident passion for art. The contemporary descriptive narration helps convey the artist's visual acuity and artistic sensibility, while also inviting readers to look along with him at the world. In addition to reproductions of Bryan's book illustrations, visuals include photographs of the island landscape, the artist at work, and many of his other creations, ranging from found-object puppets to breathtakingly beautiful seaglass-mosaic windows, plus reproductions of sketches and realia from his past. Images predominate throughout, balancing the text in collage-flavored arrangements of blocks of word and art (notes on the photographs appear at the book's end, helpfully identifying the era or significance of many pictures). This will speak directly to young artists in all media, who will appreciate both its example of art as a career and its encouragement to incorporate art into one's way of looking at the world. Copyright © 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Used by permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers.