When Abraham Talked to the Trees [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Van Steenwyk (Author), Bill Farnsworth (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

When Abraham Lincoln's ma died, she left him a book and the wish to read it every day. The words were hard to figure sometimes, but he tried again and again when chores were finished and the quiet had come.

Abraham Lincoln's love for words --the reading, writing, and speaking of them-- began when he was young. Though his early years were filled with hardship and loss, he had a hunger for learning and persisted in his determination to develop the skills he would need later in life.

When Abraham Talked to the Trees offers young readers an inspiring glimpse of a historical giant who at their own age had to struggle against the odds to learn the skills they, too, are working to develop. Author Elizabeth Van Steenwyk's anecdotal story reveals the character of the boy who grew up to be an American president known for his brilliance, wit, and humanity; while Bill Farnsworth's warm oil paintings beautifully capture the time, place, and circumstances of young Abraham's life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The creators of My Name Is York here shape an amiable portrait of a young Abraham Lincoln as an aspiring scholar and orator: "Reading took last place in Abraham's day, but it was always first place in his heart." Farnsworth bathes the young Lincoln's world in a golden suffused light; sundappled trees offer shade to the boy while he delves into his books. As the hard-working lad labors by day in the fields, he recalls and savors the words he read the previous night. Aesop, the dictionary and the Bible are staples of Abraham's reading list; the latter "nourished and filled him as much as the vittles on the table." The youth also practices his skills as an orator, repeating sermons he has heard while standing on a tree stump in front of his extended family, until they wander away and "nobody was left but the trees." The oil paintings effectively convey the tale's rustic period setting, while emitting an agreeable romanticism (Lincoln is made out to be a good deal better-looking than most historical depictions). This volume treats readers to a narrow though satisfying slice of an oft-documented life. Ages 6-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Readers are given a brief glimpse of Lincoln as a young man as he pursues his desire to read and hones his speech-making skills. The text, which includes much wilderness jargon such as "vittles" and sophisticated wording such as "Abraham obliged his pa alongside a passel of other men-," carries a lot of information about the family and life in that time and place. The beautiful oil paintings on linen have a haziness that depicts the heat of the day and give a sense of the vast wilderness and loneliness of homesteading. Art and text together present a picture of the obstacles overcome by the determination and force of will of a person who used his achievements to benefit all. This inspirational book can be used along with Marie Bradby's More Than Anything Else (Orchard, 1996), the story of Booker T. Washington's quest for reading. Great for reading alone or sharing.
Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802851916
• ISBN-13: 978-0802851918
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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