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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | 923 Lincoln, Abraham | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library | ELEM FIC TUR | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
I told Mary that tonight is a time to be happy. As we wait to go see a play, I think again of that little house, the small window, the piece of sky with two birds and one squirrel. How much has come to pass since then.
One evening in 1865 President Abraham Lincoln sits quietly in the White House. He is waiting for his wife, Mary. Tonight they will go to the theater to see a play. It has been a long time since the President has allowed himself an evening of rest.
While he waits, he thinks back on his life and the long journey from a small log cabin in Kentucky to the stately White House in Washington, a journey filled with the greatest joys and the deepest sorrows.
Extraordinarily moving text and stunning, historically accurate paintings join together to present a fictional portrait of one of the most revered figures in American history.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Crisp, richly colored paintings accompany somber prose in this dreamy evocation of Lincoln's life and accomplishments, narrated in the first person by a mature president in the White House before an evening at the theater. The fictional memoir broadly describes the man's life from his youth in a Kentucky log cabin to the end of the Civil War; a concluding two-page historical note fills in some factual gaps and appraises readers of Lincoln's fate at the hands of John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater. Vivid full-page illustrations provide counterpoint to islands of verse; a rendering of Lincoln's signature and simple colonial drawings unify the text pages. The striking cover illustration of Lincoln framed in the doorway of a log cabin is memorable. Factual picture books for children are often betwixt and between, neither read casually nor sought as research material for reports. If properly placed, Abe Lincoln Remembers can satisfy both camps, though the solemnity of the presentation favors its use as an American history resource.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Minor's (Red Fox Running) stately, lifelike paintings and Turner's (Learning to Swim) anecdotal narrativeÄwritten in the conversational voice of LincolnÄshape an insightful portrait of this leader. The author chronologically organizes the text into accessible vignettes, each accompanied by a finely detailed illustration marked by sharp, nearly photographic definition. Turner emphasizes Lincoln's fascination with words and learning with well-chosen similes (as a lawyer, "I practiced my cases out loud as I walked,/ learning how to use words/ like a leading rein on a colt/ to take people where I wanted"), and stresses his early commitment to end slavery, his unwavering ethics and his profound anguish at the destruction and death caused by the Civil War. Cheerful moments inject some levity into the volume, as when Lincoln describes Mary Todd, the woman who would become his wife ("She was bright and brave/ like a flag cracking in the wind,/ all color, rustle, and shine"), and his son Tad's habit of driving his cart and goats through the White House hall. This well-rounded volume ends on an affecting, ironic note: As Lincoln and his wife "wait to go see a play," he thinks back on his childhood log cabin, reflecting on "how much has come to pass since then. How much there is still to be done." Ages 6-9. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Abraham Lincoln remembers how he viewed the world as a young, poorly schooled Kentucky boy and reflects on his work as a storekeeper, a lawyer, and finally a politician. Illustrated with large pictures that set the scene and convey character, the free verse text portrays what Lincoln's emotional response to events may have been, rather than offering specific facts about his life. An endnote provides some background material. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This handsome and genuinely appealing collaboration transcends the usual picture-book biography genre. The author and artist impressively succeed in taking the well-known details of this oh-so-familiar life and shaping them into an accessible, affecting personal story. Experienced historical novelist Turner (Dakota Dugout, 1985) chose to tell this remembrance in the imagined voice of Lincoln, setting it on the evening of April 14, 1865, just before he and wife Mary are about to leave for the theatre. Historians have made much of Lincolns moodiness and melancholy at this moment in time; Turner reflects that conventional wisdom yet she does not make this a maudlin or sappily sentimental tale. Lincolns voice is simple and steadying. In spare, restrained prose, he recounts his life story in a voice that resonates with an undertone of grief and loss. The effect is simple, fresh, and inspiring. Minor (who previously collaborated with Turner on the haunting 1997 Shaker Hearts) is a prolific illustrator who has risen to the challenge of refreshing and refashioning time- and shop-worn events and images. His handsome and characteristically detailed acrylic paintings are perfectly pitched to Turners tone, which is increasingly somber. Minor also doubled as the books designer and makes effective use of white space, employs clean-edged line borders in red and white, and even includes occasional ghost images of Lincolns distinctive signature. In the books well-developed and inclusive historical note, Turner reflects on Lincolns pivotal role in the nations history. Finally, she asserts that Lincolns words echo down the years to us, calling to us, reminding us of what it means to lead an ethical and courageous life. Memorable. (Picture book/biography. 6-10)
Booklist Review
Ages 6^-8, older for reading alone. In what the jacket flap copy refers to as a "fictional biography," Abe Lincoln reflects on his life one evening after the Civil War has ended, as he and his wife "wait to go see a play." Turner's free-verse reminiscence gracefully ties images and themes from Lincoln's youth to those of his adult years. It is never clear whether thoughts ascribed to Lincoln, such as "I'd read any chance I got and dreamed of freedom, of rising like a hawk into the sky to some fine, high place," are actually his or are the fictional part of the biography. Still, young people will hear the basic story of Lincoln's life and gain some appreciation for the man and his accomplishments. Minor's well-composed paintings, best seen from a little distance, effectively portray the man as he ages. Teachers looking for books to read aloud on Presidents Day may want to consider this one. --Carolyn Phelan