America: A Patriotic Primer
by
Lynne Cheney & Robin Preiss Glasser
Order:
USA
Can
Simon & Schuster, 2002 (2002)
Hardcover
Read an Excerpt
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
T
he author tells us in her introduction that she wrote the book '
because I want my grandchildren to understand how blessed we are
' and these sentiments come through clearly in her patriotic march through the alphabet, accompanied by '
we the people
'. At the back are notes for further discussion.
T
he picture book is enlivened by Robin Preiss Glasser's inspiring illustrations - crowded with people of all ages and races - and interspersed with quotations from great Americans. There's Thomas Paine saying that '
We have it in our power to begin the world over again
', Dr. Martin Luther King's '
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
', and Thomas Jefferson's '
I cannot live without books.
' There are details on how to fold the flag, timelines of key events, and all sorts of fascinating snippets of information.
T
he book begins '
A is for America, the land that we love
', illustrated by the Statue of Liberty, naturally. Many letters of the alphabet are assigned to past presidents, e.g.
L
for
Lincoln
and
W
for
Washington
. I especially like the pages on
H
for
Heroes
(historical and current) and
I
for
Ideals
,
N
for
Native Americans
, and the very important
R
for
Rights
and
T
for
Tolerance
.
X
is cleverly assigned to mark important spots in the United States, and
Y
is addressed to '
You
', the reader.
A
merica: A Patriotic Primer
is an inspiring picture book, which should indeed remind young Americans of how blessed they are, and give kids of other nations an overview of US history and culture.
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