Hard Work, but It's Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter

by Bethany Hegedus, Kyung Eun Han (Illustrator)

Overview

The first picture book about the inspiring life of humanitarian Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth president of the United States and a Nobel Prize winner—from Alabama Spitfire author Bethany Hegedus. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.

Even before Jimmy Carter became president, he knew the value of hard work. Living on his family’s peanut farm, Jimmy saw how hard work yielded strong results.

At least it did for some people. But growing up in the segregated South, Jimmy also saw firsthand how white people and black people were not treated equally. None of it was right. None of it was fair.

So Jimmy created a list of Good Mental Habits to help him navigate life’s challenges. The list guided his thoughts and actions and helped him fight for change, whether working with civil rights leaders to end racial discrimination in his home state of Georgia, helping to negotiate peace in the Middle East, or building homes for the poor through Habitat for Humanity.

From the statehouse to the White House and beyond, Jimmy has worked to make change for all people, devoting decades to public service and becoming one of the most respected humanitarians of our time. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062643780
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/28/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,236,340
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bethany Hegedus is the award-winning author of Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird; Truth with a Capital T; and Between Us Baxters and coauthor along with Arun Gandhi of Grandfather Gandhi. She owns the Writing Barn, a writing workshop and retreat center in Austin, Texas. Bethany is a former educator who speaks and teaches across the country. You can find her online at www.bethanyhegedus.com.

Kyung Eun Han once worked as a corporate credit analyst until she changed her career to illustration. Her debut picture book, Into the Forest, was published in Korea in 2018. Kyung uses both digital and traditional media to create her artwork and has also illustrated for advertising, movies, and magazines in addition to picture books. She lives in Anyang, Korea. You can visit her online at www.kyungeunhan.wixsite.com/illust.

Editorial Reviews

The digital illustrations…have a simple feel. But that's fitting for a biography of the straightforward farmer from Plains, Ga…Bethany Hegedus's unadorned text leans on the words "right" and "fair," notions that informed Carter's entire life.

The New York Times Book Review - Marjorie Ingall

11/25/2019

Growing up on a farm, the boy who would become the 39th U.S. president and a Nobel Peace Prize winner learned the value of hard work: “He brought water to the workingmen, hauled firewood, and tended to the hogs and chickens.” But because that farm was in the segregated South, young Carter also witnessed injustices suffered by people of color every day; at the movies with his best friend, A.D., Jimmy “took a seat on the main floor or the first balcony. But A.D. had to climb to the third floor”—the “Colored Balcony,” where African-Americans were consigned by law. Intertwined qualities of grit and social conscience inform every page of Hegedus’s sensitive, uplifting biography, while Han’s reportorial digital illustrations reflect Carter’s unpretentious character. Grown-ups may continue to debate the subject’s efficacy as president, but in these pages readers will see a man whose determination and principles have guided him throughout his accomplished life. An author’s note and timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

The book doesn't shy away from Carter's failings…But it ends with his triumphant return to prominence as a humanitarian, depicting a man always true to himself and the "Good Mental Habits" list he wrote as a boy.

New York Times Book Review

Inspirational in every way, this selection is first-rate.

Nationally Syndicated Columnist Books to Borrow . . . Books to Buy

Uses stories from Carter’s childhood to engage young readers while making significant points…. An informative introduction to Jimmy Carter.

ALA Booklist

Inspirational in every way, this selection is first-rate.

null Nationally Syndicated Columnist Books to Borrow . . . Books to Buy

01/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—This picture book biography depicts Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, as a hardworking hero. Carter grew up in Georgia in the 1930s during segregation yet maintained formative relationships with black members of his community, including his caretaker Rachel Clark and childhood friend Alonzo "A.D." Davis. As Carter and Davis grew older, they noticed how racism and Jim Crow impacted their friendship: "A.D. could no longer be himself around Jimmy." Carter realized that people were mistreated due to their race or class. He created a list of "Good Mental Habits" that served as his moral compass and eventually shaped his political future. Hegedus documents the trajectory of Carter's political career: a business owner refusing to perpetuate racial segregation in the state's school system, to a successful four-year run as governor of Georgia, to his win against President Ford in 1976. Though Carter's presidency lasted just one term, this book illustrates his positive achievements. Carter's continued humanitarian efforts, which resulted in earning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, end the narrative. Han's contour drawings are simple but provide a solid visual context. VERDICT An effective tribute to Carter's life and influence.—Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX

School Library Journal

2019-08-26
An outline of President Jimmy Carter's life—peanut farmer, president, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

As a child growing up during the Depression on a farm in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter "knew more people of color than most white boys his age." In fact, an African American boy named Alonzo "A.D." Davis was Jimmy's best friend until they got older and the ways of segregation altered their relationship. Hegedus focuses on segregation as a key element in Carter's life, and Han's muted, fine-lined illustrations complement and extend the text, effectively evoking segregated lunch counters, movie theaters, school buses, and schools. As a young man, Carter's response to the injustice he witnessed was to create a set of "Good Mental Habits" to live by; even though they are included in an illustration, these aren't adequately explained. As he became politically active and progressed from local school board to the Georgia state Senate, from governor to president, Carter began to act against injustice. Though it is not made clear what he did to work for change in U.S. race relations, he is shown working on the Camp David Accords, trying to bring home hostages from Iran, and building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

An affectionate, admiring tribute to our 39th president. (author's note, timeline, bibliography, online resources) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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