Dear President Obama, Before you took office you kicked off an Oprah-like reading tsunami as adults plunged into Doris Kearnes Goodwins’ 2005 Team of Rivals. Now that we’re fully into Lincoln’s Bicentennial year, maybe you’re interested in discovering great new books about him that Malia, Sasha and their peers will enjoy.
What Lincoln Said by Sarah Thomson, illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins, $17.99; ages 5-8) Thomson’s simple biography of Lincoln gains power with inserted quotes 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, $16.99, ages 7-10) 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, $16.99, ages 6-10) 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 the wisdom that made him famous. They might have much in common with your Obama girls!
Lincoln Shot: A President’s Life Remembered, Barry Denenberg with art by Christopher Bing (Feiwel and Friends, $24.95, ages 9-12) This oversized volume may drive librarians crazy with how to shelve it, but the format befits the premise. Yellowed pages, etchings, photographs, and period advertisements are reminiscent of newsprint in this biography that pretends to be a “Special Memorial Edition” remembering the sixteenth 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 leadership during war.
Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life by Martin Sandler (Walker, $19.99, ages 10 and up) Who was the man and what was the image? We learn much 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 stove pipe 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, $24.99, ages 10 and up) 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. Stroll through their growing up, courtship, marriage, joys and sorrows with personal glimpses like that of Fido, the Lincoln’s pet dog, and even a tracing of Lincoln’s feet for a pair of boots that wouldn’t pinch.
Discussion and thoughts seem cornerstones of the Obama family. Here are some books you might want to talk about together.
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 Abraham 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 metaphor for the two men’s similar backgrounds, shared values and of how they, andothers like them, fought for freedom. The powerful words are matched by visual strength, especially the a 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, $16.95, 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 carrying Lincoln’s body to its final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. 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 extra sensory record.
Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman, read by Robert Petkoff (Listening Library, $19.95, unabridged, 2 CDs with photo slideshow and author interview) This Newbery-award 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 quotes, entertaining stories and evocative descriptions. Petkoff’s natural storytelling make this a great family listen.
P.S. By the way, 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.