The beautiful illustrations one has come to expect in all the d'Aulaire books. But their chosen media and style were better suited to other subjects. It seems like any narrative where the characters wear tailored outfits is going to have less appealing illustrations. That's why "Pocahontas" and "Leif the Lucky" and even "Abe Lincoln" are books that are far easier on the eyes than "Columbus" or "George Washington".

Were there really bison in Virginia!? The skunks, the squirrels, and the beavers are all excellent, as expected. ( )

NA

This children's biography of George Washington was first published in 1936, and over 80 years later (amazingly enough) it's still in print. From the "Look Inside" feature at Amazon, I was able to tell that I'd read it as a child. That I remember it, especially the illustrations, is more a commentary on my strange memory for books than for the quality of the work itself. Nonetheless, the illustrations have a certain charm. Of course the sociopolitical environment has changed, and an extended commentary inserted by the publisher in modern editions deals with the issue of how and why Washington owned slaves. It's a frank commentary which is historically accurate, and while it won't satisfy all readers, it deals fairly with the problematic issue. ( )

Summary: This book is about George Washington. It describes his life from being born in Virginia to his part in the American Revolution.

Reflection: I really like this book because is giving the students information that they probably didn't have before, and it also brings in other subjects. It talks about the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. This book could be used when teaching about either of those wars or just George Washington.

Extension: An extension you could do with this would be to have to students write about what they think it would be like to be the first president of the U.S. I think this activity would be fun for the students, and also, it would be very informative because the students would have to consider all of the events going on at that time.

This one is a biography of George Washington, written and colorfully illustrated for children. What more can I say? It's short, easy to read and has lots of pictures.
--J. ( )