The Quite Contrary Man: A True American Tale

By Patricia Rusch Hyatt

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

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810940655
• ISBN13: 9780810940659
• Release Date: May 2011
• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.4" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4