Happy Birthday, America [Hardcover]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Peter Catalanotto (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Mary Pope Osborne celebrates July 4th, the most American of holidays, with a warm family story. Three generations enjoy parades, popcorn, "Yankee Doodle," and at the end of the day, lightning bugs and fireworks. "Then I blow out the stars, as if they were candles on a giant birthday cake" --a glorous image in Peter Catalanotto's glowing and buoyant watercolors.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Independence and patriotism are hard concepts for the very young to grasp. Osborne tackles this challenge through a nostalgic recollection of a small-town Fourth of July celebration. Food, fun, and family fill the day, with firemen; members of the Kiwanis, American Legion, and Knights ofColumbus; and a local dance school and band all playing their parts. "Yankee Doodle," "Stars and Stripes Forever," Lady Liberty, reading from the Declaration of Independence, and a community singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" lead right into the "Oooooh!" "Ahhhh!" "Wow!" sparked by the fireworks. Finally, a happy, tired family drives home. Though most children would rather be at an event than read about the nice time others have, Osborne's text is an agreeable slice of life. Catalanotto's illustrations capture the festivities with selective realism and just enough detail. The author's notes cap the work with a few historical and personal tidbits. Libraries that need additional materials to support holiday collections will find this worthy of consideration even though the ideals of independence and patriotism remain elusive.
Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. This sparkling tribute to the Fourth of July depicts how a family of eight living in a small town celebrates this favorite holiday. Catalanotto's familiar, softly colred artwork stages the scenario: a pet parade; popcorn, pizza, and raffle tickets for sale; face painting; antique cars, penny pitching; a nighttime concert, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and fireworks. The day is made up of little things, while the celebration is about big ones--community, freedom, and pride. Catalanotto's watercolor palette lends a candlelike glow to scenes as the expressive faces of kids and adults enjoy the occasion. Pair this with Marsha Chall's similarly titled picture book, published in 2000, for a doubly festive reading. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (April 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761316752
• ISBN-13: 978-0761316756
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,636,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"I'm one of those very lucky people who absolutely loves what they do for a living. There is no career better suited to my eccentricities, strengths, and passions than that of a children's book author."--Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne is the author of the popular Magic Tree House series. She works with her husband Will and her sister Natalie on the nonfiction companion series, Magic Tree House Research Guides. Many of her books have been named to best-books lists.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is a celebration., June 21, 2003

By 

W. FLANAGAN "Dutchgirl-73" (The Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Birthday, America (Hardcover)

An extended American family celebrates a traditional 4th of July, in this lovely picture book. Starting the day with a children's parade, enjoying pizza and popcorn, buying tickets for a raffle, then enjoying carnival activities, face painting, balloons, and finally ending the day with a barbecue, and concert under the stars with fireworks finale, the family has a wonderful time celebrating Independence Day. The illustrations are a little hazy, very nostalgic and timeless, with colors that depict the warmth and fun of the day. Any child who has ever attended a city park 4th of July celebration will recognize the activities depicted here. The text is short and simple enough to be included in a patriotic themed storytime for preschoolers. This will be a great addition to a holiday collection for which not that many books for children have been written.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet story, March 3, 2008

By 

Mikayla's Mom (Endwell, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Happy Birthday, America (Paperback)

My daughter brought this home from the school library and I'm ordering our own copy today.

I completely agree with the first reviewer. This is a very nice, simple story about lots of traditional activities on the 4th of July. Makes me want summer to hurry up and arrive!

We love the Magic Tree House series, and Mary Pope Osborne has created another wonderful book.