Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington [Hardcover]

Anne F. Rockwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2008 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

A boy from Virginia becomes the first president

Before he was the face on the dollar bill, George Washington was a shy boy with a hot temper. But George had character and adaptability. He taught himself courage and self-control. At an early age, and without really realizing it, George Washington gathered the qualities he’d need to become one of the greatest leaders America has ever known.
Anne Rockwell’s prose is dignified, Matt Phelan’s illustrations are striking, and the details they reveal about George Washington’s early days are fascinating, sometimes tragic, and always moving.

Includes an author’s note.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Socially awkward children take heart: in his boyhood, the father of our country, says Rockwell (They Called Her Molly Pitcher), wasn't afraid of bears, or wolves, or the native hunters with bows and arrows... of anything, except making conversation. Her adulatory biography offers plenty for contemporary kids to connect with: her George Washington has a temper, dislikes the blood and gore of the battlefield and, even as a general, is the first to start digging trenches. But it's Phelan's (Very Hairy Bear) extraordinary artwork that cements the bond with readers. As his pencil-and-gouache scenes review the events of Washington's life up to the presidency, his scenes bristle with immediacy, dramatic tension and emotional insight. His fluid pictures impart the sense of vivid memories being conjured up, of history being re-lived in all its urgency and telling details. Audiences accustomed to visualizing Washington as the sphinx-like figure on the dollar bill will find Phelan's dashing, steely portrait nothing short of revelatory. Ages 6–9. (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—This picture-book biography begins when Washington was 13 years old and living at Mount Vernon with his older half brother, Lawrence. The story follows him as he grew into manhood and became a soldier. Washington was not a fighter by nature but felt it his duty to defend the country he loved. And so he did throughout the Revolutionary War, where his bravery and skilled leadership resulted in Washington becoming the first President of the United States. Told almost conversationally, the story is accessible for young readers and listeners. The pencil and gouache illustrations are inviting and lend a softness to the portrait of this founding father. The subtitle suggests an emphasis on Washington's inherent shyness and primes readers for finding out how he overcame it. In actuality, little time is spent on this trait and no problems are noted for him in that regard either in his role as general or president. Despite this oddity, the book is an approachable, readable, and likable account of an important man.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (June 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152165835
• ISBN-13: 978-0152165833
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George in a new light!, June 9, 2009

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington (Hardcover)

Most kids are taught about George Washington at an early age. Most of the books that are about him tell tales that may or may not be true. They seem to make George more like a fairy tale character instead of a founding father. Not this book! This shows young kids today the real George Washington. It gives kids many details without overwhelming them. It gives kids a new way to look at the great man that helped to found this country and lead great men to fight for our freedom. If you are looking for a book to go with a Washington unit study this is the book for you. Perfect for classroom use!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story about big George Washington has a nice flow to it and packs a lot of history into its pages!, June 13, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington (Hardcover)

When George Washington was a boy there were thirteen English colonies in North America. He was a fearless young man, but one unusual thing was that he was shy and had difficulty "making conversation." When his father died his big brother Lawrence "became like a father to him." He taught him everything he needed to know about life from him, including how to be a gentleman. He practiced his handwriting by copying from a "book of manners" thinking that if he could learn to be polite, people would not realize he was so shy. He was a talented young man who was good at a lot of things and when he was only sixteen he was hired as a "surveyor and mapmaker for the king."

One of his few faults was that he had a temper and later when he became a soldier he had trouble keeping that in check. In 1755 the Americans were fighting the "French soldiers and American Indian tribesmen at Fort Duquesne, Pennsylvania." His was angry and told General Braddock they should use an "surprise attack," but he didn't listen and died in that "tragic and bloody" battle. George, the fearless, yet shy young man grew in confidence and learned how to become a great soldier. In 1775 the colonists needed a leader and at the second Continental Congress he became General Washington and by 1789 he was elected president of the United States of America.

This was a well-written story that will attract the most reluctant reader to its pages. The story has a nice flow to it and packs a lot of history into its pages. Perhaps it will spur the reader on to learn more about Washington in more complicated biographies. The art work is sweeping and goes nicely with the text. In the back of the book, in the section called "A Note From The Author," there is additional information about Washington. This book can either be read for fun or used as a stepping stone for a school report.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big George -Shy Boy To President, June 20, 2009

By 

Tom Lo (PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington (Hardcover)

Brief, excellent summary of George Washington's transformation from a shy boy to USA President with several interesting facts easily understood by young readers.