They Were Strong and Good

Having won a Caldecott Honor in 1939, for Munro Leaf's Wee Gillis - he also worked with Leaf on the classic picture-book, The Story of Ferdinand - Robert Lawson went on to win the Caldecott Medal itself in 1941, for this exploration of his family tree. First telling the story of his maternal grandmother and grandfather - the one a Scottish sea captain in New York, the other a Dutch farm girl from New Jersey - and then of his mother, raised in Minnesota; Lawson turns next to the story of his paternal grandfather and grandmother - an Englishman in Alabama, who fought Indians, the Devil and the Yankees, and a young Alabama girl who loved the preacher's voice - and then his father, who also fought in the Civil War as a young boy, before show more coming North to make a living. Although neither great nor famous, they were "strong and good," Lawson maintains, helping to build America and to leave a heritage that their children could be proud of.

They Were Strong and Good is a book with some admirable qualities, from the gorgeously detailed, etching-like illustrations - I have loved Lawson's work since the time I was a little girl, and would pore over my tattered copy of The Story of Ferdinand incessantly - to the concept of family history as American history. I like the idea of tracing one's ancestors' stories, and of showing pride in their accomplishments. That said, there was also some content here that made me extremely uncomfortable: the way in which the Indians in Minnesota are depicted as frightening food thieves that would descend upon Lawson's mother's house (apparently the language was changed in later editions, from "tame Indians" to just "Indians"); and the portrait of Lawson's father's idyllic hunting childhood, with his two beloved dogs and his slave, Dick. Lawson depicts racist realities from our past - the hatred of Native Americans, the enslavement of African-Americans - and he is not explicitly condemnatory in his depiction. Moreover, he presents his white characters - his grandparents and parents - as "strong and good," despite their participation in the racist culture of their day.

I don't doubt that they were strong and good, in many ways - and I have little tolerance for the viewpoint that we have nothing to be proud of in our history, because we have sometimes done wrong - and I think that deserves to be celebrated. But this celebration just felt a little tone-deaf to me, ignoring some of the elements of our history (whether as a nation or a family) that weren't strong and good, even though they appeared right there in the story. All in all, I think this title would work best for older children, perhaps those reading together with an adult, who can point out and discuss some of the problematic aspects of the text and artwork. show less

Lawson tells the story of his parents and grandparents, and how they came to help shape the history of America. He accompanies the stories with detailed pen and ink drawings, for which he won the Caldecot medal. Some of these illustrations are delightful – I liked the contrast between “modern” city and the farm land that was just two generations pervious, and laughed at the illustration of the aftermath when a parrot nearly devoured a Panama hat. I also appreciate Lawson’s acknowledgment of oral story telling traditions, and of children listening and learning their own family histories from their elders. I certainly spent many an enjoyable evening listening to my grandparents, aunts and uncles regaling us with stories of our show more family’s past.

So why the low rating? I realize this is a product of its time (originally published in 1940), and that Lawson was proud of his ancestors and their accomplishments. But I am disturbed by the racism within. The depictions of “happy slaves” and “thieving Indians” just leave a really bad taste in my mouth. And now that I know this is the “revised” edition (see WIKIPEDIA entry for some of the original language), I’m even more unhappy. Perhaps it offers an opportunity for parents to have difficult discussions with their children about those episodes in America’s history, and the changing attitudes over the years. But I just don’t like it. show less

A old book published about 80 years ago, and the age shows very much. At the time this was published, there were many people still living who could remember life in the old country, or those who had known someone from the old country, or pre-Civil War, or pre-WWI. There is plenty to learn and appreciate about history, and this was a good seller in its time, but unfortunately has not aged as well, at least as a children's book because of the over/undertones of the narrative.

The title speaks for itself. The author writes about his ancestors in a positive light and this isn't merely a biography, it was meant to be educational for children, so I can understand the tone, and am still giving this book 3 stars because of the context as seen show more through the time (and societal expectations) of this time period - WWII had just started.

I'd say this is a better book for older readers, with some discussion. Can I recommend it at all? I mean, IDK. There's a lot of great old books out there that have held the test of time. And this book is interesting as a account/history of the author's family. But there are better books out there about history for younger audiences. This book in itself is better as a curiosity, and a study in how parts of history were viewed through other parts of history, so again, something for older readers who are interested in this kind of thing. show less

2 stars for the story, 3.5 for the art// It would be easy to give this a 1 or 2 star rating solely based on the themes in the book (racism & slavery), but I think it's important to remember that it was written in 1940, and that it's a tribute to family and the pride Lawson had for all that his family did for their country. His striking illustrations are also filled with deep emotion.

This historical biography had Ink and pencil illustrations depicting each member of the authors family. To be honest I didn't think this was a great book at all. It was well written and had a sense of pride and patriotism about it, I can see how it won the Caldecott medal. However, the books contents seemed to glorify slavery, and classify runaway slaves as a type of dangerous monster. I would never read this book to a child, but it does work as insight into the mentality of the time. It would work well as reference material for older students or adults studying slavery.

This is intriguing. I think I would have liked a few more ancestors back, because Lawson did a good job of making the history brief but still interesting & enlightening. Too bad the cover is unappealing, at least in the edition I read. I suspect, if I'd read this as a child, I might have gotten to know my grandparents better.

This characteristic children's book is an account of family genealogy by the grandson, and son. It's illustrations are mainly black and white, but deliver with bold integrity. It spans two generations, the authors parents, and their parents, through war, countries, and love. The accounts are rendered through poignant text, and beautifully detailed sketches, reminding us all to appreciate those who came before us, because "they were good and strong".