From a Small Seed - The Story of Eliza Hamilton: The Story of Eliza Hamilton

by Camille Andros, Tessa Blackham (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical picture book biography of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, co-founder and director of the first private orphanage in New York City and wife of founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Ever since she was a young girl, Eliza Hamilton hoped to help people in need. From the private quarters of her family home to her national platform as Hamilton’s partner, Eliza was a lifelong advocate for fairness, freedom and faith. The remarkable acts of charity and public service she performed after Alexander’s death are considered a significant contribution to the Hamilton legacy the world celebrates today. Here is a thoughtful, historical account of her life beginning with her childhood influences.

Much like the award-winning picture book biographies that celebrate trailblazing women like The House that Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams and Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead, Camille Andros and Tessa Blackham's From a Small Seed—The Story of Eliza Hamilton is an accessible portrait of an exemplary public figure whose principles have stood the test of time.

Christy Ottaviano Books

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250297426
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	10/22/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,168,430
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Camille Andros is the author of Charlotte the Scientist Is Squished and The Dress and the Girl. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and six children.

Tessa Blackham is a children’s book designer and the illustrator of Monday Is Wash Day, which Kirkus praised in a starred review: “such carefully assembled artwork conjures magic”. She holds a BFA from Brigham Young University and currently lives in Seattle.

Editorial Reviews

"Repetition of words and ideas and a lyrical flow to the text ensure that listening will be a pleasure . . . An accessible and engaging portrait of a remarkable historical figure."—Kirkus Reviews

"This timely and elegant biography of one of our nation’s founding mothers, told in simplest terms, will touch the hearts of its readers. Lyrical and beautifully illustrated."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2019

Gr 1–3—As a young girl, Eliza Hamilton played beneath the branches of tall trees with deep roots, proof of their ability to outlast the harshness of life. Hamilton didn't know it then, but she, too, would grow, sink her roots deep, face tragedy and sorrow, and become a strong pillar providing shelter and hope for others. The poetic and graceful text gently weaves metaphors with facts set in lush, detailed illustrations. Readers will find themselves entranced by the story of a woman whose empathy and compassion can serve as an inspiration. Although the story itself may seem vague when it comes to specific details, the author's note on the final pages fills in the gaps and explains many of the clever illustrations. Strong vocabulary is repeated throughout, offering an opportunity to introduce young readers to terms such as "passion, persistence, and perseverance." VERDICT This timely and elegant biography of one of our nation's founding mothers, told in simplest terms, will touch the hearts of its readers. Lyrical and beautifully illustrated.—Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools

School Library Journal

2019-08-26
Eliza Hamilton's life is summarized, along with some fictionalized episodes intended to illuminate her character and accomplishments.

Andros uses an extended metaphor of seeds and trees to frame Eliza's long and eventful life. This view of human resilience as stemming from strong roots, along with sophisticated vocabulary and the breadth of Eliza's experiences, may require some explication for young listeners. Repetition of words and ideas and a lyrical flow to the text, however, ensure that listening will be a pleasure even if understanding takes some extra effort. Blackham's matte, naïve-style illustrations vary in size and placement, including double-page spreads, single-page pictures, and spot illustrations. The subdued palette appears appropriate to the era; details of costume and setting also serve to anchor the story in time. Eliza is first shown as an energetic, smiling, dark-haired, pale-skinned girl with loving parents. Her empathy for those less fortunate is shown in a drably colored (imagined) interaction with an unnamed white orphan boy. Growth from child to young woman follows quickly, summarized on a two-page spread that shows her eight times against the same simple background, a checkerboard floor. Her marriage to Alexander Hamilton, the birth and raising of their children, the loss of her husband, and her subsequent child welfare work are briefly outlined and illustrated in the remaining pages; the last activity introduces the only characters of color depicted.

An accessible and engaging portrait of a remarkable historical figure. (author's note, artist's note, bibliography) (Biography. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews