Review by Booklist Review
Direct quotes from Lincoln enliven the concise text in this picture-book biography of the sixteenth president of the U.S. Thomson follows Lincoln from his Illinois boyhood to the moment he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. With admirable simplicity, Thomson distills the historical facts into short, smoothly paced sentences that present the issues for a very young audience. Thomson defines the term slave, for example, as human beings treated like animals: forced to work, bought and sold, chained, beaten. In his illustrator's note, Ransome acknowledges that he elongated or exaggerated body parts to elaborate the text, and his brightly colored, acrylic portraits certainly veer into caricature. In an opening page, for example, a young Lincoln is portrayed as a wide-eyed, grinning goofball; in other spreads, his outsize ears dominate the image. The effects are mixed, but at their best, the pictures humanize their subject, and elementary teachers will appreciate this brief overview of Lincoln's accomplishments, which are further explored in a time line and an author's note. One glaring omission: there are no sources given for Lincoln's quotes.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-By using Lincoln's own words, Thomson builds a portrait that relates his statements to significant events in his life. From commenting on making his first dollar ("The world seemed wider and fairer before me.") to working hard, his attitude toward slavery ("If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.") to his reaction to war, and finally to signing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's character and times are revealed. Short descriptions of the circumstances and a related quote are set on bold, colorful spreads. Ransome delivers a larger-than-life portrait of this homely president with acrylic, almost cartoonlike paintings. Lincoln kneels on a map, trying to hold the Union together, reaches out to angry Southerners saying, "We are not enemies, but friends," and frets over the war. His awkward size, dedication to his cause, and serious side all come across. An engaging overview, this is a worthy introduction to this famous president.-Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Thomson weaves Lincoln's own words into her brief picture book biography, which focuses mostly on the sixteenth president's efforts to preserve the union and end slavery ("If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong"). Ransome's paintings exaggerate Lincoln's ears and height, making him larger than life yet oddly caricatured. No source notes are provided for quotations. Timeline. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
As a young lad, Abraham Lincoln learned the importance of an honest wage, and his work ethic garnered results. From Lincoln's transition from law into politics, Thomson succinctly describes slavery's impact in the Civil War and the president's resulting actions. Lincoln's nuanced personality comes through clearly in his direct quotations, well-chosen and reproduced in a colored type within the text, revealing both the man's humor and conviction. Commenting on his unfavorable looks when called two-faced, Lincoln replies, "If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?" These lighter moments are effectively contrasted against Lincoln's monumental decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, which concludes this selection and is appropriately complicated both within the account and in an expanded note in the backmatter. Ransome portrays the president with an exaggerated stature, stretching out Lincoln's elongated limbs even further at times for emphasis. His double-page paintings are most effective when depicting a solitary Lincoln, reaching out to the American people. A solid introduction, although source notes are lacking. (timeline, author's, illustrator's notes) (Picture book/biography. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
