Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse

A gorgeous ode to the humble onion—and to darkness and light, grief and joy, and much more—through the story of poet Pablo Neruda and his muse, Matilde.

ODE TO AN ONION is a poetic, beautifully illustrated picture book inspired by Ode to the Onion by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973). Pablo has a lunch date with his friend Matilde, who shows the moody poet her garden. Where Pablo sees conflict and sadness, Matilde sees love and hope. The story is less a biography of Neruda and his muse, Matilde Urrutia (1912–1985), and more a simple ode to a vegetable that is humble and luminous, dark and light, gloomy and glad, full of grief and full of joy—just like life.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Shortlisted for the Communication Arts Design Competition, 2019