December 15, 2013
Our 16th president is presented as an activist for human and civil rights. Lincoln resembles a doll with an oversized head as he strides through a first-person narrative that stretches the limits of credulity and usefulness. From childhood, Abe, bearded and sporting a stovepipe hat, loves to read, write and look out for animals. He stands up to bullies, noting that "the hardest fights don't reveal a winner--but they do reveal character." He sees slaves, and the sight haunts him. When the Civil War begins, he calls it a struggle to end slavery. Not accurate. The text further calls the Gettysburg ceremonies a "big event" designed to "reenergize" Union supporters and states that the Emancipation Proclamation "freed all those people." Not accurate. The account concludes with a homily to "speak louder then you've ever spoken before," as Lincoln holds the Proclamation in his hands. Eliopoulos' comic-style digital art uses speech bubbles for conversational asides. A double-page spread depicts Lincoln, Confederate soldiers, Union soldiers, white folk and African-American folk walking arm in arm: an anachronistic reference to civil rights-era protest marches? An unsourced quotation from Lincoln may not actually be Lincoln's words. Successful neither as biography nor sermon. (photographs, archival illustration) (Picture book. 4-7)
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April 1, 2014
K-Gr 2-Imagine, if you will, two famous Americans whose childhood selves were strong and portentous of their future adult lives but whose bodies stayed small and childlike as they achieved their incredible feats. Meltzer has chosen to portray these iconic figures in this way, perhaps in the hopes that modern-day kids will more easily identify with them. Both narratives are told in first person, which raises doubts as to whether they could truly be called biographies. For example, Amelia Earhart recounts an incident in which she and her sister built a ramp off the side of a shed so they could ride a cart off the roof. Her brother comes along and asks, "Amelia, are you sure this is a good idea?" She replies, "This isn't a good idea. It's the BEST idea!" Such conversations and the lack of resources calls the books' informational value into question. On the other hand, they each talk about the character traits that made Earhart and Lincoln wonderful role models and determined in their life pursuits. The illustrations, while a bit odd, are also rather charming. Their comiclike nature and the brief, readable text will appeal to young readers. Adults who read these books with children will have plenty to discuss regarding the hard work, persistence, and determination each person showed, as long as it's clear that the books themselves are fictionalized.-Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2014
In these chatty, first-person-narrated biographies, entertainment value trumps historical rigor: Earhart says, "That was AWESOME!"; young Lincoln declares, "I'm gonna be on the penny someday"; and both subjects are depicted as children even after they become adults. The cartoony digital illustrations recall Calvin and Hobbes comics. Each small-trim book ends with words of wisdom from its subject and vintage images.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)