Looking at Lincoln

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Overview

Abraham Lincoln is one of the first giants of history children are introduced to, and now Maira Kalman brings him to life with her trademark style and enthusiasm. Lincoln's legacy is everywhere - there he is on your penny and five-dollar bill. And we are still the United States because Lincoln helped hold them together.

But who was he, really? The little girl in this book wants to find out. Among the many other things, she discovers our sixteenth president was a man who believed in freedom for all, had a dog named Fido, loved Mozart, apples, and his wife's vanilla cake, and kept his notes in his hat. From his boyhood in a log cabin to his famous presidency and untimely death, Kalman shares Lincoln's remarkable life with young readers in a fresh and exciting way.

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature

This picture book of Abraham Lincoln shows parts of his life that we don't usually read about. Did you know that he was kicked in the head by a horse or mule and thought to be dead? He awoke two days later and never showed any bad affects; although he probably stayed away from the back end of four legged critters for many years. He was raised by his stepmother whom he loved dearly. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, made him a vanilla almond cake when they were courting and then had to make it for special occasions because it became Honest Abe's favorite cake. He governed during the Civil War and mourned the loss of many fine American soldiers. During the war he wrote several memorable speeches, including the Gettysburg Address. He was, and still is, an inspiration to the people of our country. His memorial containing a larger than life statue is a much visited site in Washington DC. The inclusion of less well known facts about Lincoln and a good bibliography make this book a nice addition to an elementary school library. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan

School Library Journal

Gr 2–5—With a breezy conversational style, thick lines, and vivid bulky colors, Kalman provides a unique introduction to our 16th president. She begins by drawing attention to Lincoln's tall stovepipe hat, the appearance of his face on the $5 bill, and the many (more than 16,000) books written about him. As the narrative continues, the author integrates information about Lincoln's impoverished childhood, study of law, election as president, Gettysburg address, Emancipation Proclamation, and murder in 1865, while also addressing fascinating lesser-known facts—his run-in with a donkey, favorite kind of cake, and the name of his dog. With each spread, readers will discover unusual and varying visuals: splashy pinks during cherry-blossom season in Washington DC, solemn portraits of Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, a bullet-ridden uniform of a Civil War soldier, the boy Abe reading by the fire, and a riderless horse with boots on backward signaling Lincoln's death. In an effective and memorable ending, Kalman closes with a Lincoln quote: "…With malice toward none, with charity for all," setting the words against a view of the Lincoln Memorial. A list of sources and appended notes add breadth to the presentation. This is a great read-aloud for younger children with lots of possibilities for discussion and a jumping-off point for older readers to motivate their research. Regardless of the number of Lincoln books already on the shelves, librarians will want to add this captivating book to their collections.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

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Kirkus Reviews

Kalman's narrator sees a man who reminds her of Abraham Lincoln and goes to the library to find out more about the 16th president in this appealingly childlike introduction. She finds information about Lincoln's family life, his education, how he dressed, his presidency and his death. She wonders what he thought about, and she offers information about his anti-slavery views and his meetings with Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. Kalman's artwork is the main attraction here, with appealing naive illustrations done in gouache. Each page offers visual treats in a Matisse-like palette, unusual for a biography of a president, but fun in their own right--images of various people and items related to the president, including pancakes, a vanilla cake, a whistle, apples and, toward the end, an ominous-looking gun facing a rocking chair with a top hat on the floor. In the compression necessary to the picture-book form, however, history is regrettably oversimplified. Lincoln did indeed hate slavery and did say, as the narrator states, "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," But to assert that "[t]he Northern states (the Union) believed that slavery should be abolished. And so they went to war," is to offer children a not-quite-accurate version of history adults should be ready to contextualize. In enjoying the art, readers will pick up some bits of history along the way. (notes, sources) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

Pamela Paul

Kalman's text is marvelously tuned to young readers… The accompanying paintings alternate between veneration…and whimsy…enriching this utterly winning tribute.
—The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780399240393
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Publication date: 1/5/2012
Pages: 32
Sales rank: 87,071
Age range: 5 - 8 Years
Lexile: AD480L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 9.34 (w) x 11.28 (h) x 0.42 (d)

Meet the Author

Maira Kalman

In her own words: "born. bucolic childhood. culture-stuffed adolescence. played piano. stopped. danced. stopped. wrote. discarded writing. drew. reinstated writing. married Tibor Kalman and collaborated at iconoclastic yet successful design studio. wrote and painted children's books. worried. took up Ping-Pong. relaxed. wrote and painted for many magazines. cofounded the Rubber Band Society. amused. children: two. dog: one."

Biography

Maira Kalman is an award-winning artist, illustrator, and product designer. She has illustrated numerous covers for The New Yorker magazine and has written and illustrated more than a dozen children's books. Her articles and illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Interview, and many other publications. Kalman has designed products for the Museum of Modern Art under the M&Co. label, fabric for Isaac Mizrahi, accessories for Kate Spade, and sets for Mark Morris Dance Group. A teacher of graduate design at the School of Visual Arts, she lives in New York with her two children and a dog.

Author biography courtesy of the New York Public Library.

Good To Know

Kalman told us that she is the co-founder of the Rubber Band Society, is looking for a job in a café, adores ping-pong, and is very, very neat.

"My short attention span has allowed me a life of diversity in work and place, Kalman explains. "I work for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and other publications. I design products for The Museum of Modern Art. I design fabrics, and accessories for Kate Spade, fabric for Isaac Mizrahi."

"I travel as much as I can without being miserable from jet lag," she reveals. "I always remember that I don't really know what I am doing, and armed with that knowledge am very sure of myself."

Kalman reflects, "I consider my work to be about humor and love of life, and can do that when I am not terrified, which is often, but there you go."

1. Hometown:
  
  New York, New York
1. Date of Birth:
  
  November 15, 1949
2. Place of Birth:
  
  Tel Aviv, Israel
1. Education:
  
  New York University, 1967-70
2. Website:
  
  http://www.MairaKalman.com

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Caim2

Posted March 12, 2012

Reality Mixed With Fun

I love how the author includes so many facts and intertwines them with hyperbole about Lincoln's life.
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Looking at Lincoln

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Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

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Pamela Paul

Product Details

Meet the Author

Maira Kalman

Biography

Good To Know

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Reality Mixed With Fun