Abraham Lincoln (Dell Picture Yearling Special)

Rating:
Summary: Facts? We don't need no stinking facts!
Review: About 20% of this book is worthwhile reading. The other 80% remains historically inaccurate, mythological, or downright offensive. But I get ahead of myself.

In 1940 Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire won the Caldecott medal for their picture book, "Abraham Lincoln". Like many idealized versions of Mr. Lincoln, this book relied on a couple old standbys. Lincoln was born in a log cabin. Lincoln wore a stovepipe hat. Then it adds a couple new myths to the brew. Lincoln apparently was friends with furry woodland creatures. He fought pirates and carried a scar from a fight with them over his left eyebrow. Finally, the book disintegrates into absolute fabrications. Lincoln, according to this text, was rivals with Stephen A. Douglas for the hand of Mary Todd. Not true. He went to war without provocation specifically to free the slaves. Not true. But how much can you blame a story that was written in 1939? It's possible that back then children's non-fiction books weren't held to the high standards they are today.

Entirely aside from the inaccuracy of the text, the story is deeply offensive to African Americans and Native Americans. Here's a bit of what I mean. As justification for the destruction of the Sauk and Fox tribes (who merely wanted to raise corn on land that had been taken from the Native Americans thirty years earlier) the book says:

"His tribe had sold the land to the 'paleface,' but Black Hawk said: 'Man-ee-do, the great spirit, gave us the land, it couldn't be sold'."

Needless to say, the tribes aren't actually named in this book. They're simply referred to as "Indians".

And the African-Americans? Ecoute:

"The next day President Lincoln walked into the town, holding little Tad by the hand. An old Negro recognized the long, thin man with the tall stove-pipe hat. "Here is our saviour," he cried, and threw himself at Lincoln's feet. And suddenly Lincoln was surrounded by Negroes, weeping and rejoicing as they cried: 'Glory, glory hallelujah'."

Totally aside from whether or not that actually happened, it's the accompanying pictures that really drill this image home. The stereotypical African-American with the wide white eyes and big lips is everywhere in this book. From a slave auction, where a mammy-like woman stands on a podium to the vision of a group of happy former slaves praising their "saviour", there are repeated visions of stereotypical blacks not usually found in children's literature. In fact, many of the illustrations in this book suffer from a variety of ills. Some are offensive (don't even start me on the pictures of the Native Americans). Some are silly. There's a shot of Abraham and his sister standing in the woods, stylized tears stuck to their faces. The picture reminds you of nothing so much as one of those 1960s paintings on velvet of big-eyed children, once so popular. Some pictures are poorly constructed. The last shot of Lincoln suffers from such a lack of proper composition and perspective that you could spend hours trying to make it line up.

And what 20% of this book is worth reading? Well, it's hard to get around the fact that there are shockingly few worthwhile books about Abraham Lincoln written with little kids in mind. If you want a fabulous book for older children then run, don't walk, to your nearest independent bookstore and buy "Lincoln: A Photobiography" by Russell Freedman. But for the little ones? As far as I can determine, this is the best you're going to be able to do. It does get kids interested in the life of Lincoln. And it makes him an understandable human being, with hopes and fears of his own. If you don't mind inaccuracies, the occasional poor illustration, and a tendency towards offensive images then this really is your best bet.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: This book is in a word, charming. This book is a true story of the life of Abraham Lincoln, from his birth to his presidency. This book is educational and informative, without being dry and boring as many history books tend to be. Children as young as 4 will be interested, as well as kids through the teen years. Simply worded, but not babyish, brilliantly illustrated, but not unreal. Youngsters will learn and retain much about the life of one of our most admired, courageous and beloved presidents. D'Aulaire at his usual shining best! A Caldecott medal/honor book.

Rating:
Summary: A biography of Lincoln for young children.
Review: This is a children's book about the life of Abraham Lincoln. First written and illustrated in 1939, it was expanded in 1957. Most of the book focuses on Lincoln's early life. The illustrations resulted in the book being awarded the 1940 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a children's book. It is a book that helps children learn more about U.S. history and a great president. It is also a book that should be on the shelf of any serious student of children literature.