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Rating: 
Summary: An excellent introduction for young readers to Old Hickory
Review: Although there is a photograph of the ancient Andrew Jackson on the cover of this "Photo-Illustrated Biography" by Steve Potts, the only photograph on the inside is a contemporary black & white photograph of the Hermitage. I know I have seen at least one other photograph (or probably more accurately a daguerreotype) of Jackson, also from shortly before his death and years after he left the White House, so it is not like it is possible to have much more than what is provided here. Anyhow, the volumes in this service are clearly geared for young readers and consist of a full-page illustration on the left side of the two-page spread and several paragraphs of text on the right. In that latter regard, Steve Potts provides a lot more information than other volumes in this series. Young readers will learn about how Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States and the first born in a log cabin. Potts traces Jackson's life from his boyhood in Carolina, through his experiences during the Revolutionary War, to his early career as a lawyer. Potts deals with the facts behind Jackson's marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards and how he earned the nickname "old Hickory" during the War of 1812. Jackson was the first candidate for President to win the popular vote three times in a row, and Potts explains how Jackson "lost" that first election in 1824 (which will be of interest to those young students who remember what happened in Florida in 2000). There is a lot of information in this little volume, which clearly makes it the best of the series. Both young students and their teachers will get a solid background on Jackson's life and political career.
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