The Man Who Loved Libraries: The Story of Andrew Carnegie

by Andrew Larsen, Katty Maurey (Illustrator)

Overview

When he was a child in the 1840s, Andrew Carnegie and his family immigrated to America in search of a new beginning. His working-class Scottish family arrived at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Carnegie worked hard, in factories and telegraphy. He invested in railroads, eventually becoming the richest man in the world during his time.




Carnegie believed strongly in sharing his wealth, and one of the ways he did this was by funding the construction of over 2,500 public libraries around the world. His philanthropy completely revolutionized public libraries, which weren’t widespread at the time.


Told in simple, lyrical text, the story unfolds against striking, stylized illustrations that transport readers to the bustle and boom of the Industrial Revolution. An informational spread explains more about Carnegie’s life and work.When he was a child in the 1840s, Andrew Carnegie and his family immigrated to America in search of a new beginning. His working-class Scottish family arrived at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Carnegie worked hard, in factories and telegraphy. He invested in railroads, eventually becoming the richest man in the world during his time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771472678
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	08/15/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,238,025
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

ANDREW LARSEN is a father, homemaker and author. His books include A Squiggly Story, In the Tree House, which won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and See You Next Year, which received wide critical acclaim. Andrew lives in Toronto, Ontario. His local library just happens to be a Carnegie Library.



KATTY MAUREY is a designer and illustrator. She was born in Paris, lived in Hong Kong, and now makes her home in Montréal. She has a degree in graphic design from the Université de Québec à Montréal, and is the illustrator of several other children's books, including Francis the Little Fox and The Specific Ocean.

Editorial Reviews

07/03/2017
In a crisply written tribute to industrialist/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Larsen (A Squiggly Story) outlines his path from a hardworking child of struggling Scottish immigrants to a wealthy businessman who established some 2,500 public libraries, among other endeavors. Maurey (The Specific Ocean) works in a subdued folk art style and a pale, creamy palette, creating a serene mix of quiet domestic scenes, busy urban landscapes, and, in one spread, a towering library that captivated a young Carnegie. It’s an accessible, admiring portrait, though an afterword about Carnegie’s legacy notes that “his relationship with works in his own factories was complicated,” and an accompanying photo shows a Carnegie Steel Plant in Pennsylvania, “the site of a deadly union-busting conflict.” Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Straightforward and accessible... An effective and quite pleasing showcase of an important literary figure."

Booklist

"Simply and chronologically presented, it is a clear message that we can make a difference when we give back in whatever way possible and meaningful."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Straightforward and accessible... An effective and quite pleasing showcase of an important literary figure."

Booklist

07/01/2017
K-Gr 3—Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1848. Helping to support his family, Carnegie worked in a cotton mill. Later he became a messenger boy and then a telegraph operator with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Always a hard worker, Carnegie saved and invested his earnings. By age 35 he was a very rich man. Selling his steel mills to J.P. Morgan, Carnegie was able to fulfill his lifelong desire to give away half a billion dollars. Much of the money went to the building of libraries across the United States and around the globe. This title focuses on Carnegie's love of learning and libraries. The text is lyrical, but the highlight of the volume is Maurey's stylized drawings, which depict Carnegie in the various stages of his life. Additional information at the end of the book touches on Carnegie's dislike of labor unions, but otherwise the narrative is upbeat. VERDICT This portrayal of Carnegie and his legacy is romanticized but no doubt will appeal to young elementary school students. Large collections may want to consider.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community College, Mt. Carmel

School Library Journal

2017-05-10
Certainly the world of public libraries would be poorer without the substantial contribution of Andrew Carnegie.This picture-book biography outlines the rags-to-riches story of the Scottish immigrant's journey as a child to the United States and his rapid succession through jobs to one with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. With money earned from his managerial role, he began the shrewd investing in railway, oil, iron, and steel companies that led to his extreme wealth. He never forgot the pleasure he got from books borrowed as a young man from Col. Anderson's private library in Pittsburgh. This gentleman allowed "young workers" access every Saturday. The accompanying illustration shows young Andrew ascending a ladder up a vast wall of books that occupies the entire page. When Carnegie grew rich, he "used his own money to build public libraries so others could have the same opportunity." Carnegie's story is told in methodical, plain fashion, with the more controversial aspects of his career as a union-busting robber baron confined to a paragraph in backmatter. Illustrations feature a flattened, naïve style in a limited palette dependent on blues and browns, appropriate to the 19th-century period. An unlabeled world map highlights the far-flung locations of Carnegie libraries. A useful if uncomplicated way of teaching "that we can all make a real difference when we choose to give back." (sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

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