Abraham Lincoln by Ingri dAulaire

Abraham Lincoln Reviews

• 
  Calista

  I think the art in this book is good, nice colors. It is warm and rich. I think there is too much story here and it should have been made into a regular bedtime story. There is a whole page of text next to a picture. It is a long read. Much too long for a bedtime story.
  
  I read this to the kids and we needed to bookmark our place and go to bed as it was taking so long. Both kids did not want to continue the story and asked to simply Not finish. I finished the story, but the kids did not. It took very complex issues of that time and made a sweeping simple statement about them. I don't think they did a good job picking parts of the story. The parts of Abe's childhood are good and it should have focused solely on that part for the whole book.
• 
  Book Concierge

  This Caldecott-winner is a biography for young children. There is a fair amount of text, but also many detailed illustrations. It follows Lincoln from his birth to the end of the Civil War, though it does not mention his assassination.
  
  I like the focus on his early life; he is shown to have a strong work ethic and a great desire to learn. There are several scenes depicting his efforts to get educated, including reading on his own. He is depicted as a man of strong moral courage, as well as a loving father. If I have any complaint, it is the depiction of the Blacks and Indians. I understand that this was first published in 1939, but I cringed at those illustrations.
  
  The d’Aulaires were immigrants to America, and when the book was written the world was anxiously watching the events in Germany that would lead to a world war. They may have erred on the side of hero-worship in their portrayal of Lincoln, but I like that they portrayed a man willing to stand up against injustice.
  
  All told, it’s a fine introduction to American history and particularly to the life of possibly the best President this nation has ever had.
  
• 
  Josiah

  I have read a number of treatments of the life of Abraham Lincoln, but this is one of my favorites. The artistry of the illustrations, for one thing, is awesome; in my view, this book outshines in that regard most others that have won the Caldecott Medal. There's a depth and wholesomeness to the drawings that gives them words to speak directly to the reader, as is the case for the illustrations in many of the greatest picture books that have ever been written.
  
  I very much like the fact that the authors emphasized the abiding connection between Abraham Lincoln and his young sons. Our sixteenth President dealt with horrible sorrow over his lifespan, including the eventual deaths of more than one of his beloved children, but the Abe Lincoln who was most important to the President, himself, was the Lincoln that chose to play with his sons ahead of any other obligation, who recognized that if he were to fail to be a good father, then what right did he have to run an entire country? This was the playful, almost endlessly understanding, loving Abraham Lincoln about whom so many Americans know nothing, and that's really too bad.
  
  The book ends with the Union having just won the Civil War, and Lincoln finally being able to rest contented in the knowledge that he was successful in preserving the nation that his forefathers had founded before he was even born. There's no mention made in the text of John Wilkes Booth or the assassination attempt that would end the life of perhaps our greatest President, but that lack of final information seems to suit the book's purposes very well, and be completely appropriate. Ultimately, I'll give two and a half stars to this book.
• 
  Erin

  When I was banished to the library in Kindergarten because I already knew how to read, this was the book that started it all...my strange obsession with Abe Lincoln. This book had just come in. The PTA mom was putting the stickers and cover protector on it when I spotted it. I thought it would be so neat to be the first one to read a book, this book. Now as an adult this could be a contributing factor to my love of biographies and memoirs.
• 
  Abigail

  Winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1940, this examination of the life of Abraham Lincoln for younger children is one of a number of picture-book biographies from husband-and-wife team Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire, including
  George Washington,
  Leif the Lucky and
  Benjamin Franklin. Opening in a small log cabin in Kentucky, the book follows its subject through his childhood and youth in Indiana and then in Illinois; his career as storekeeper, state politician and lawyer, and then national politician; and his years as President of the United States during the Civil War. It concludes shortly after the end of the Civil War, with no mention of the subsequent assassination of Lincoln.
  
  Although there were some things I enjoyed about the D'Aulaires' Abraham Lincoln - I liked the folksy style of the narrative, which reminded me of stories of Tall Tale heroes that I have read, and appreciated the glimpse given into the childhood life of this most important figure in American history - there were also many things I did not enjoy. To wit: the scenes involving African-American and Native American people were painful to read, with condescending (and often inaccurate) text, and offensive artwork. The description offered of the war with the "Indians" in Illinois, when Lincoln was a young man - although not named, it is clearly the Black Hawk War of 1832 - felt rather glib to me, accepting without question that the settlers were in the right ("Sold is sold," said the people of Illinois, and went to war to chase the Indians out"), when in fact the disputed treaty (of 1804) that led to the conflict is believed by many scholars to have been understood differently by the two sides. Just as disturbing as the smug tone of any passage dealing with non-Euro-Americans, is the visual depiction of African-Americans in the artwork. With inky black skin, round white eyes and exaggerated lips, they look unnatural, and are reminiscent of images of black-face.
  
  I don't think, all told, that I would give this title to a young child, nor would I have it in my house, if I had children of my own. It's an interesting document of its time, and the vision of Lincoln during that period, but it is also dated. Recommended primarily to Caldecott completists, and to fans of the D'Aulaires' artwork.
• 
  Sarah W

  The pictures are the most enjoyable part of this book about Lincoln and why I'm giving this book two stars instead of one. My favorite picture came on page 18.
  
  Many of the anecdotes in this book were familiar to me, probably ingrained from visiting many Lincoln sites and reading other books. The text is written in dialect.
  
  As a former history major I was bothered by several things. I am probably looking at this book with too much of a modern viewpoint. This book doesn't contain any sources. Major people in Lincoln's life receive no name at all, such as his stepmother and three of his four boys.
  
  The book also dodges any mention of death other than the death of his mother. That's a tricky feat given Lincoln. There's nothing in this book about his sister's death or the two of his own sons that died during Lincoln's life. The only boy who is named is the one who outlived him - Tad. Of Lincoln's assassination, there was also nothing.
• 
  Laura5

  I could see how kids of the day would love the stories of Lincoln's pranks and "country ways" even after he became a man of the city. And the illustrations (color and B&W) would have engaged many children.
  
  However this book felt like larger than life folklore (almost tall tale like) trying to masquerade as biography.
  
  Also the book felt didactic in its portrayal of Lincoln protecting a "peaceful Indian" and feeling slavery was cruel. And I feel that it conveys a message (from the day) at those points that people of color are "less than" - needing a big white savior, and the illustration of "Negroes" thanking Lincoln bothers me with its strange look of overly happy people in blackface.
  
  
• 
  Luisa Knight

  "This book will probably be considered primarily in connection with its illustrations, but its true distinction ... lies in the high standard it sets in the field of biography for children under ten. It is a rounded and well-proportioned outline of Lincoln's life which the d'Aulaires have given us, in an easy-running text unclouded by sentimentality." - The New York Times
  
  I quite agree, as the narrative is high quality and the illustrations a delight. Definitely a go-to-book for children under ten who are wanting to learn about Lincoln!
  
  Ages: 5 - 10
  
  Cleanliness: nothing to note.
  
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• 
  Heather

  1940 Caldecott Medal Winner
  
  Black and white illustrations alternate with color ones--I read for a children's lit class that this was often the case before color illustrations became less expensive to print. It looks like the drawings were done in pencil and color pencil. Pretty realistic depictions, although the black people look mostly the same and have goofy "blackface" faces--not exactly flattering.
  
  Abraham Lincoln grows up, beats up some pirates, studies law, and ultimately becomes president in this wonderful book. I don't know much about Lincoln, so I can't comment on the historical accuracy--I couldn't help but wonder whether it was true that he actually never hunted any animals. I mean, come on... pioneers? I'd be surprised if that were true.
  
  It also used dated words like "Negro" to describe black people, but through Lincoln's actions it did depict them favorably, so I thought that kind of made up for the datedness in that area. Lincoln was against the cruelties of the slave trade. The illustrations of black people were pretty bad, though, as mentioned above.
  
  The Indian War was also dubiously justified: "...an Indian chief, Black Hawk, had come back to Illinois with his warriors. His tribe had sold the land to the 'paleface,' but Black Hawk said: 'Man-ee-do, the great spirit, gave us the land, it couldn't be sold.' 'Sold is sold,' said the people of Illinois, and went to war to chase the Indians out." Ouch. Maybe that's not overtly justifying it, but it doesn't pay much attention to the fact that the U. S. usually tricked the natives into signing over their land. To Lincoln's credit, though, he did defend an Indian against his own troops (depicted in the book).
  
  Other than the race issues, I really enjoyed this book. Lincoln was probably one of the best presidents we've ever had. He was an honest person with a big heart, but he also knew great sadness. This is an amazing story and it makes me want to read more in-depth about Lincoln. Not sure if kids would put up with the length of this book, but who knows?
• 
  Jenny

  Early Caldecott winner
  
  I actually found the text pretty interesting, particularly about Lincoln's boyhood. It is a very long text for a picture book...64 pages with a lot of text per page.
  
  What I liked:
  *the color illustrations
  * the stories of his boyhood and especially the stories of when his stepmother came..(somehow I felt like I got more of a feel for her personality than for his mother or father) .and the story of the joke he played when he held up another boy to walk and make muddy footprints on her whitewashed ceiling
  *I admire his desire to learn and to read, despite the fact that he received little formal education
  
  What I disliked:
  *Despite this being a rather long book, it left out or seriously downplayed any of the challenges he faced. He was a great man, but this makes even his challenges seem like an adventure or just a small bump in the road. I am not implying that it needs to delve deeply into his troubled marriage or mistakes he made, but I do think it helps children to see that even great men and women face hardship and have to overcome character flaws, mistakes and hard times.
  *the portrayal of Native Americans and African Americans in the book is offensive...both the illustrations and the word choice are offensive...particularly the illustration of the freed slaves bowing down to thank him.
  **It is definitely too long to read to children in one sitting (which is sometimes okay with me, but I do believe there are better books about Lincoln so I opted not to read it to my children.)
  **It ended a bit abruptly, I thought. It gave so many details about his life, but ends right as the Civil War does with him on the balcony of the White House as the band plays "Dixie" and he sits on his rocking chair....
• 
  Friend of Pixie

  As the summary says, "America was at a crossroads in 1939 as they debated whether to join the Allies in their battle against Hitler's relentless march across Europe. As European immigrants the d'Aulaires felt keenly the importance of standing against injustice, and saw in Lincoln the archetypal American hero as he stood against the injustice of slavery."
  
  While this book is dated and has a tendency to glorify Lincoln as a hero and a savior, we still enjoyed it. I guess I think that despite his depression and his faults, Lincoln was an amazing and rare person--one of few politicians who can stand up to mythologizing.
  
  I love the D'Aulaires and they don't disappoint. Beautiful illustrations, lively text, and a way with mythology. What's funny is that after I read it to 6-year-old Logan, he asked if Lincoln was a real person and when I said yes, I could see he was a little disappointed. He's always so suspicious that he might be "learning" something and he views non-fiction as a pernicious purveyor of boring facts. His favorite part was when young Lincoln, already quite tall, picked up a smaller kid and walked him along the ceiling to put footprints up there as a joke on his mother. I liked the fact that the story stops right after the end of the civil war. Probably the kid readers of 1939 already knew about the assassination, but Logan doesn't and I was relieved not to have to explain it just yet.
• 
  Tricia Douglas

  This book was chosen for our first month of Caldecott winning books. I have several books by this author/illustrator team but had not read this one before. The historical information was simple and basic for young children. They added several "tall tales" about Lincoln that I hadn't heard before. The illustrations are beautiful. Back in 1939 when this was published the d'Aulaire's used their Norwegian art style with the Old World process of stone lithography. Using color back then was a long, difficult process. It wasn't until 1957 that all of the original pictures were redrawn and put on acetate film. I have always loved their pictures and now appreciate this beauty of their artistic talent with the story of Lincoln. Yes, there are stereotypes in this book, where if it was written today the story might be rewritten a little differently. But the Caldecott award would still stand as having this book one of the most distinguished picture books for children.
• 
  Cindi

  I read this Caldecott winner with my kids. We all felt like we learned something and enjoyed the pictures as well. I was struck by the fact that as Lincoln and Douglas argued their points, Douglas said he thought the states should each make their own mind up about slavery and Abe Lincoln argued that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." I think he was right on and that idea can be applied to the marriage = one man and one woman idea. I believe it does lie within the interests of the federal government to take a (righteous) stand in that decision rather than leaving it to the states. Too bad there isn't a candidate that is willing to take that one on!
  
  We stopped when the Gettysburg Address was mentioned and read the actual address. We didn't comment on it too much, but it was a nice pause in the story to read Lincoln's great words!
• 
  Alessandra

  A historically inaccurate, condescending, faux-folk history that talks down to children and pretties up Abraham Lincoln's life.
  
  What is it about the 1930s that encouraged people to create fake histories? Colonial Williamsburg dates to the 1930s, as does the whole centennial-of-the-origin-of-baseball myth of Abner Doubleday (which would have surprised Jane Austen, who wrote of it in England in the 1790s). I don't even want to get into European fake folksy history of the 1930s.
  
  So fine, here's a mythic fake history of Abraham Lincoln as if he were Paul Bunyan or something.
  
  I got more information about Lincoln from visiting his tomb. At least it mentioned his sons' deaths.
• 
  Angela

  This is the 1940 Caldecott winner we were going to wait to read this until after we read Mei Li the 1938 winner but my 5-year-old found it in the library bag and was so excited to read the book about the baby who grew up. One thing that I'm finding interesting about these early winners is how long they are. They are not meant to be read in a 5 minute sitting like so many of our children's books are today.
• 
  Paul

  This book is on the long side, but still short for a history, so it ends up being a larger-than-life tale about the over-sized man, president and pillar in the American story and mythology. The illustrations that get the full space of the over-sized pages to spread out have a two-dimensional and folk Americana feel. It is surprising that the book ends without a mention of his assassination. 2.4 stars (not much for a Caldecott medalist, but 1940 was a very lean year in my opinion).
• 
  Donna

  This was my first Lincoln biography.
  
  This story was in a "children's best" book that I was given as a gift so long ago that I can't remember when. It was one of the few books I owned. I loved the pictures and loved ol' Abe.
  
  It won the Caldecott Medal in 1940 beating out Madeleine.
• 
  Cathy

  In reading Caldecott books, this is the first year (1940) that I have been really impressed with the illustrations, as well as the stories. This book beat out Madeline (an honor book in 1940), and I can see where that happened. This book is much more text heavy, which fits with earlier winners of the medal.
• 
  Patsy

  This is one of the earliest winners of the Caldecott Medal. The stories it tells are memorable, and -- though I haven't researched them -- feel accurate to the character of Abraham Lincoln. My 38 year old son saw it sitting on the table, and said, "Oh, I remember reading that book." See? Memorable.
• 
  Dianna

  This biography written in 1939 is quite charming although a bit dated and probably idealized. The pictures are wonderful—even my four-year-old agrees—and certainly deserving of the Caldecott medal they earned.
• 
  Karen L.

  My kids loved this book.
• 
  David

  Nice version of Lincoln's life. Great pictures. Interesting what they included and what they left out. It does not talk about his death.
• 
  Samantha

  Caldecott Medal Winner, 1940
  
  I have always loved the d'Aulaire's books. I'm pretty sure this isn't actually the best biography of Lincoln out there, but I do so enjoy their illustrations.
• 
  Lea

  Good biography for elementary.
• 
  S'Rizzle

  Solid book for my kids to read and understand some of the background of Lincoln's life.
• 
  Colin Jones

  Good book!