Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers-Karen B. Winnick
From School Library JournalKindergarten-Grade 
4. In 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard. Lincoln responded to the letter. On his way to Washington, DC for his inauguration, his train stopped at her hometown and a bewhiskered Lincoln introduced himself to Grace. Too amazing to be true? Well, the letters exist to prove it, and they are reproduced at the end of this interesting picture book. The story is presented simply and with authenticity. Children will identify with this independent young girl. Grace, her large family, and their solid small-town home are depicted in an American folk-art style appropriate to the period. The girl's letter is a perfect example of the manners and speech of that time, and the relationships among the siblings and parents ring true. The greatness and humility of Lincoln are shown as he takes the time to respond to a child and meet her, and, remarkably, accept her advice. Containing a wonderful piece of history beautifully and succinctly presented, this story can be read in groups or individually to entertain and to teach.?Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library System, Orlando.
4. In 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard. Lincoln responded to the letter. On his way to Washington, DC for his inauguration, his train stopped at her hometown and a bewhiskered Lincoln introduced himself to Grace. Too amazing to be true? Well, the letters exist to prove it, and they are reproduced at the end of this interesting picture book. The story is presented simply and with authenticity. Children will identify with this independent young girl. Grace, her large family, and their solid small-town home are depicted in an American folk-art style appropriate to the period. The girl's letter is a perfect example of the manners and speech of that time, and the relationships among the siblings and parents ring true. The greatness and humility of Lincoln are shown as he takes the time to respond to a child and meet her, and, remarkably, accept her advice. Containing a wonderful piece of history beautifully and succinctly presented, this story can be read in groups or individually to entertain and to teach.?Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library System, Orlando.The End-David LaRochelle
PreSchool-Grade 3—Turning the standard fairy-tale formula on its head, LaRochelle begins his story at the end. The endpapers depict a princess and a knight waving good-bye to a long line of intriguing characters who are marching away from the castle. The text begins, "And they all lived happily ever after. They lived happily ever after because…" and proceeds backward through a madcap chain of events that includes a skittish dragon, a giant tomato, a pack of ferocious bunnies, and a fortuitous bowl of lemonade. Only on the last page are readers rewarded with the anti
cipated phrase, "Once upon a time." Egielski's illustrations are a triumph. The flattened, static quality of the characters calls to mind Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (HarperCollins, 1995), and the warm, muted tones evoke the fairy-tale art of Trina Schart Hyman, but the fanciful details—a blue, winged pig; a pair of runaway lemons—are completely original. The hand-lettered text, enclosed in streaming banners, consists of terse, declarative statements that are lavishly expounded upon by the illustrations. The tension between the simplicity of the narrative and the richness of the artwork allows this tale to transcend its clever gimmickry. Though the book can be appreciated in one reading, and would work well when shared aloud, multiple perusals are necessary to spot all of the details. When youngsters reach the beginning of The End, they will want to start all over again.—Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library, GA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
cipated phrase, "Once upon a time." Egielski's illustrations are a triumph. The flattened, static quality of the characters calls to mind Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (HarperCollins, 1995), and the warm, muted tones evoke the fairy-tale art of Trina Schart Hyman, but the fanciful details—a blue, winged pig; a pair of runaway lemons—are completely original. The hand-lettered text, enclosed in streaming banners, consists of terse, declarative statements that are lavishly expounded upon by the illustrations. The tension between the simplicity of the narrative and the richness of the artwork allows this tale to transcend its clever gimmickry. Though the book can be appreciated in one reading, and would work well when shared aloud, multiple perusals are necessary to spot all of the details. When youngsters reach the beginning of The End, they will want to start all over again.—Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library, GA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. A Bad Case of the Stripes-David Shannon
Kindergarten-Grade 2?A highly original moral tale acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates. Shannon's exaggerated, surreal, full-color illustrations take advant
age of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork; close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale. Sly humor lurks in the pictures, too. For example, in one double-page spread the Creams are besieged by the media including a crew from station WCKO. Despite probing by doctors and experts, it takes "an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry" to help Camilla discover her true colors. Set in middle-class America, this very funny tale speaks to the challenge many kids face in choosing to act independently.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
age of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork; close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale. Sly humor lurks in the pictures, too. For example, in one double-page spread the Creams are besieged by the media including a crew from station WCKO. Despite probing by doctors and experts, it takes "an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry" to help Camilla discover her true colors. Set in middle-class America, this very funny tale speaks to the challenge many kids face in choosing to act independently.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MAMailing May-Michael O. Tunnel
Kindergarten-Grade 2. Five-year-old Charlotte May Pierstorff begs to visit her grandmother, but her parents cannot afford to send her. In Idaho in 1914, the train is the only way to make the 75-mile trip over the mountains. The Pierstorffs come up with an unusual solution?mailing May. Sending her as a package is a third of the cost, and since her mother's cousin Leonard han
dles the railroad mail car, she does not have to travel alone. Children will delight in the fantasy aspects of the tale even after they discover that the story is true. Tunnell describes his research in an author's note. Rand's watercolor illustrations are masterful, as is the design of the book as a whole. The intriguing cover is made to look like a suitcase. With the tweed of the traveling bag as a backdrop, the title is framed in the shape of a postage stamp, and two other old-fashioned stamps and a "photograph" of May holding the same suitcase are featured. The device of the painted photographs or other pieces of realia such as a postal tag or train schedule appear throughout the book's glowing two-page spreads and add to the story's authenticity. This well-crafted presentation provides a brief, but sweet, glimpse into the past.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
dles the railroad mail car, she does not have to travel alone. Children will delight in the fantasy aspects of the tale even after they discover that the story is true. Tunnell describes his research in an author's note. Rand's watercolor illustrations are masterful, as is the design of the book as a whole. The intriguing cover is made to look like a suitcase. With the tweed of the traveling bag as a backdrop, the title is framed in the shape of a postage stamp, and two other old-fashioned stamps and a "photograph" of May holding the same suitcase are featured. The device of the painted photographs or other pieces of realia such as a postal tag or train schedule appear throughout the book's glowing two-page spreads and add to the story's authenticity. This well-crafted presentation provides a brief, but sweet, glimpse into the past.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VAUseful Resources
- National Council for the Social Studies website. This site, a professional organization for social studies teachers, contains a database of Notable Trade Books for Young People. These databases are organized by year and contain a PDF file that lists the books, a brief description, the age ranges for each book, the ISBN number, and price for each book. Outstanding resource!
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable
- Proteacher.net This site is a community message board that allows teachers from all over the country to share teaching tips, resources, and advice. One board has tips on books, book buddy ideas, family literacy nights, etc.
http://www.proteacher.com/070000.shtml
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