Quite Contrary Man: True American

by Patricia Rusch Hyatt

Kathryn Brown (Illustrator)

5 of 5 stars 1 rating • 1 review • 1 shelved
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In early-nineteenth-century New England, folks considered a clean chin a sign of godliness. Born into this buttoned-up, strict society, Joseph Palmer stood out from childhood as someone who liked to do things his own way. A friend to Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Alcotts, Palmer lived by his own code and grew a belly-flowing beard that made his neighbors so crazy that they tried forcibly to shave him. He fought back and ended up in prison for a year. His cause became a local sensation, and a few short decades later a president of the United States—Abraham Lincoln—would wear a beard. Narrated with the charm of a tall tale, this true story celebrates the long American history of nonconformity and encourages children to question social rules they may take for granted.Praise for Quite Contrary Man“She [Hyatt] cleanly lays out a morality tale that could prompt a healthy civics lesson. Brown's arch illustrations, in watercolor with pen and ink, nicely capture 19th-century New England.” –Kirkus Reviews “Brown’s warmhued watercolors reiterate the folk yarn feel with rustic touches. A spirited introduction to an iconoclastic 19th-century activist.” –Publishers Weekly
  • ISBN13 9780810940659
  • Publish Date 1 May 2011
  • Publish Status Out of Print
  • Out of Print 8 February 2024
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Abrams
  • Format Hardcover
  • Pages 32
  • Language English