The Story of William Penn

The author and illustrator, Aliki, painted William Penn in a very positive light. The story depicts Penn as a peaceful, pleasant, family man, and advocate for freedom. In most of the pictures everyone is smiling. There is a mixture of black and white pictures and colorful pictures. The time he was placed in prison and the boat trip to America were the only unpleasant moments depicted in this book. Though I like the happy story, I find myself highly skeptical of his easy transition into an agreement with the Native Americans and seemingly quick growth of Pennsylvania. I don't doubt that he was a well liked and respected man but life hardly ever goes so smoothly without disagreements or failure of some sort. I understand it is a show more children's book and therefore aspects have been sugar coated and made to seem honky dory but I would have preferred a little more realistic biography and less vague pleasantries. show less

The illustrations go hand-in-hand with the text, they help guide you as what to feel as you are reading. When the soldiers come into a Quakers house everyone is scared and you can feel it just from seeing the illustration. William gets thrown in jail for speaking so freely, but then is able to go to the New World, where he can speak freely and be himself. He was not able to take his family with him quite yet, which was heartbreaking. William did the impossible by friending the Indians. William Penn impacted many people throughout his life.

This informational picture book about the founder of the Pennsylvania colony is a subtle yet informative book that chronologically gives a brief overview of the history leading up to the colony's foundation and the religious and cultural issues plaguing both the American colonies and England. It gives the historically accurate reasons why Penn was given the colony and plainly describes why Penn wished to move from England. The book introduces the idea of religious tolerance that was at the time a uniquely American colonial privilege. Penn's Quaker religion is explained in simple terms, but the book clearly illustrates in both the text and the adjacent images that Penn's religion was at odds with the English crown. The book even show more addresses the issue of early European and Native American relations. In this narrative, Penn is presented as a peaceful man who reached out to the native peoples and encouraged harmony. There are no quotes or figurative language. It is simply a chronological narrative of the founding of the Pennsylvania colony.

It's storytelling and word usage might be considered elementary, but the content is very informative giving the readers an ample understanding of the period. The book clearly sugarcoats this period and presents an oversimplified explanation of the founding of the Pennsylvania colony, however I believe it should be applauded for introducing children to the themes of religious and cultural tolerance.

Since I plan on teaching secondary level Social Studies, I believe this book's reading level is not appropriate for my future pupils, but it does address issues I would like to cover when presenting this period. show less

William Penn was the founder of Pennsylvania. A Quaker, he believed in respect and freedom for all. However, not all shared his views and many Quakers were punished for their beliefs. When the king of England owes him money, Penn finds himself in possession of a piece of land in the New World. True to his Quaker beliefs, Penn makes peace and friendship with the Native Americans living in his newly acquired land. With colorful and busy artwork, Aliki captures the kindness of the Quakers who settled into Pennsylvania.

This is a quick little read, but very interesting. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it does the job for a younger audience.

The author, Aliki, did a beautiful job illustrating and writing this biography of Willam Penn. Young readers will be mesmorized with the facts they will learn when reading this story. The illustrations are also unique. Aliki uses some color pictures and some pictures are in black and white. The wording in this story is not too difficult for beginning readers. If I were a teacher, I would read this story to my students when discussing the New World.

William Penn came to the new land-a land where he could speak freely and live in peace. He brought others with him from England, and they called their new home Pennsylvania-the woods of Penn. Delicately illustrated with period pictures in colonial colors, Aliki has captured the warmth and gentleness of the Quaker settlers who molded the great state of Pennsylvania.

this is a great book that gives a quick and simple overview of the history of the city of philadelphia. The illustrations are not amazing but have a pretty cool stencil like quality.