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Rating: 
Summary: An introductory juvenile biography to a man of many talents
Review: He is on Mt. Rushmore, the nickel and even the $2 bill. In this Photo-Illustrated Biography author T. M. Usel gives young readers an indication of why Thomas Jefferson is such a pivotal figure in American History. The book begins with Jefferson's two most famous accomplishments, being the third President of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence. Usel immediately points out that Jefferson was also an inventor, writer, musician, farmer, architect, and a book lover, but in a book this short (10 pages of text) there is really more space devoted to biographical details than his many accomplishments. Young readers will find nothing here about Jefferson's political philosophy or the significance of his election to the White House as the first orderly transfer of power between political parties in the history of the world. Still, the book does provide all of the basic biographical details that are appropriate for an introductory biography to be read by grade school students. The fact that this is a "Photo-Illustrated Biography" is something of a misnomer since, of course, there are no actual photographs of Jefferson. Instead there are paintings and engravings of Jefferson and photographs of his home Monticello and the University of Virginia, both of which were designed by Jefferson, and one of his inventions, a portable writing desk (although the device for making a copy of a letter has always been my favorite). This is one of those biographies that refers to the subject by his first name, which always strikes me as odd, but even more so when you are talking about a founding father and especially one whose has enjoyed one name (last) status for a couple of centuries.
Rating:
Summary: An introductory juvenile biography to a man of many talents
Review: He is on Mt. Rushmore, the nickel and even the $2 bill. In this Photo-Illustrated Biography author T. M. Usel gives young readers an indication of why Thomas Jefferson is such a pivotal figure in American History. The book begins with Jefferson's two most famous accomplishments, being the third President of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence. Usel immediately points out that Jefferson was also an inventor, writer, musician, farmer, architect, and a book lover, but in a book this short (10 pages of text) there is really more space devoted to biographical details than his many accomplishments. Young readers will find nothing here about Jefferson's political philosophy or the significance of his election to the White House as the first orderly transfer of power between political parties in the history of the world. Still, the book does provide all of the basic biographical details that are appropriate for an introductory biography to be read by grade school students. The fact that this is a "Photo-Illustrated Biography" is something of a misnomer since, of course, there are no actual photographs of Jefferson. Instead there are paintings and engravings of Jefferson and photographs of his home Monticello and the University of Virginia, both of which were designed by Jefferson, and one of his inventions, a portable writing desk (although the device for making a copy of a letter has always been my favorite). This is one of those biographies that refers to the subject by his first name, which always strikes me as odd, but even more so when you are talking about a founding father and especially one whose has enjoyed one name (last) status for a couple of centuries.
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