By Susie Wilde
Dear President Obama,
Before taking office you kicked off an
Oprah-like reading tsunami as adults plunged into Doris Kearns
Goodwin's 2005 book about the Lincoln administration, "Team of Rivals."
Now that we're fully into the bicentennial of Honest Abe's birth year,
here are some great new books about our 16th president that your
daughters Malia and Sasha and their peers will enjoy.
Picture books for Sasha
(and other 7-year-olds)
"What Lincoln Said"
by Sarah Thomson, illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins).
Thomson's simple biography of Lincoln gains power with inserted
quotations that add emotion and proof of Lincoln's "two contradictory
traits -- his flexibility and his strength of will." Ransome's
illustrations animate both Lincoln's lightheartedness and graver
sentiments.
"Abe's Honest Words" by Doreen
Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion). This lyrical
biography recounts Lincoln's life and his devotion to words. Reared by
a master storytelling father, Abraham stole moments to read while
splitting wood. Later, ferrying passengers down the Mississippi, he
listened to lawyers tell how they used words to gain justice for
ordinary folk. He "stored these different voices in his heart and wove
them into his own words." Rappaport punctuates pages with poignant
Lincoln quotes. Yellow predominates in Nelson's illustrations
demonstrating how words illuminated Lincoln's life.
"Mr. Lincoln's Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln's Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie"
by Stanton Rabin, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Viking). These
rough-and-tumble boys just wanna have fun in the White House, and their
daddy is all about it. Illustrations and text show how the boys relieve
the stress of their overwhelmed father as they climb his angular limbs,
imitate the wars that concerns the country and come to their powerful
father for wisdom.
Longer books for Malia
and other 10 and ups:
"Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered"
by Barry Denenberg with art by Christopher Bing (Feiwel and Friends).
Yellowed pages, etchings, photographs and period advertisements fill
this oversized biography that pretends to be a "Special Memorial
Edition" newspaper remembering the 16th president. After several pages
covering the assassination (complete with pictures of the assassins'
hangings that kids won't forget), the author and artist cover Lincoln's
boyhood, youth, political and family life, and his leadership during
war.
"Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life"
by Martin Sandler (Walker). Who was the man and what was the image?
This book raises those questions while teaching us a great deal about
early photography and Lincoln's brilliance in presenting himself. As a
young man he avoided frilly clothes and mussed his hair to show himself
as a man of the people. Later he positioned himself in the middle of
group pictures, accentuating his appearance with the tall stovepipe
hat. Famed photographer Mathew Brady hid his scrawny neck with a high
shirt collar and posed him with a pillar and books to symbolize his
strength and love of learning.
"The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary"
by Candace Fleming (Random House). Wander through the photos and
memories of the president and his wife. Note their different
upbringings: the rickety cabin at Sinking Spring Farm, Kentucky, where
Abraham Lincoln was born, and the expansive house where Mary Todd was
delivered by the most expensive midwife in Lexington. Witness their
childhoods, courtship, marriage, joys and sorrows while getting a
glimpse of Fido, the Lincoln's pet dog, and seeing a tracing of
Lincoln's feet for a pair of boots that wouldn't pinch.
Books for family sharing
"Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship"
by Nikki Giovanni illustrated by Bryan Collier (Holt, $16.95, ages 8
and up). Glistening stars and glittering jewels shine at a reception of
newly elected President Lincoln, but he's distracted. He's seeking out
his friend Frederick Douglass, who's been prevented from entering by
the front door. Finally the men find each other and "the journey across
the ballroom felt like a journey across time." This begins a story
about the two men's similar backgrounds, shared values and fight for
freedom. The powerful words are matched by visual strength, especially
the fold-out illustration of the bright ballroom that opens to reveal
the somber blues and grays of a Civil War battlefield.
"Abraham Lincoln Comes Home"
by Robert Burleigh, paintings by Wendell Minor (Holt, ages 6-10).
Lincoln's life was measured by the many who grieved for him, like young
Luke, who goes into a quiet night with his father to see the train
that's carrying Lincoln's body to its final resting place in
Springfield, Ill. In a sensory whirl Luke breathes in "a smell of metal
mixed with the faint scent of lilacs" as bonfires and torches blaze
before the train with flowers, flags and Lincoln's picture. And Luke
witnesses his father crying for the first time. Minor's realistic
drawings provide even more impressions of the era, the boy and his
memorable night.
An audio alternative
And here's a CD for the family limo:
"Lincoln: A Photobiography"
by Russell Freedman, read by Robert Petkoff (Listening Library,
unabridged, 2 CDs with photo slideshow and author interview). This
Newbery Medal-winning book of photos makes a fabulous translation to
audio as Freedman has drawn a strong portrait of Lincoln with words. He
covers the many facets of the man with plenty of quotations,
entertaining stories and evocative descriptions. Petkoff's natural
storytelling makes this a great family listen.
P.S.
As you start out your new family life in the White House, you might
want to take a look at these two books. Gibb Davis' Wackiest White
House Pets (Scholastic, $16.95) might give you a few grins as you train
your new puppy. The whole family might enjoy "First Kids: The True
Stories of All the Presidents' Children" (Scholastic, $7.99), written
by 13-year-old Noah McCullough, and it might give your daughters some
new ideas for fun.
