A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography) [Paperback]

David A. Adler (Author), John Wallner (Author), Alexandra Wallner (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Picture Book Biography

Follows the life of the popular president, from his childhood on the frontier to his assassination after the end of the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prolific Adler ( Cam Jansen ) and the Wallners have collaborated on two highly accessible and involving picture-book biographies. Each book begins with the childhood of the leader and firmly places its subject within the continuum of American history. The texts are brief yet succinctly include the major contributions of each man within the constraints of the picture-book format. A single page outline of "Important Dates" closes each book. The Wallners' colorful illustrations are sometimes a bit cartoony for the no-nonsense text, but many readers may find these perfect introductions to the lives of two important presidents. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- These books are a step easier than Adler's "First Biographies" (Holiday). Facts and personality are expertly mixed in the small blocks of text; Adler does a good job of covering character traits, family members, and large events without overburdening readers with too many facts. Calm, uncluttered color paintings add visual interest, extend the text (sometimes rather far: readers will have to find out elsewhere why the Boston Tea Party was "attended" by native Americans), and ennoble their presidential subjects--Lincoln, with an extra homely face and dark clothing, always stands out in a group, and Washington is last seen on a tall horse, atop a bluff, waving to a passing eagle. Some simplification is inevitable--Lincoln's election is the only mentioned cause of the Civil War and there's not a black face to be seen in . . . Washington, for instance--but by and large, these are inviting gateways, both to the array of longer books on these two presidents, such as Kathie Billingslea Smith's (both Messner, 1987), and to U.S. history in general. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 26 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (P) (February 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823408019
• ISBN-13: 978-0823408016
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 9.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( A ) > Adler, David A.
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > U. S. Presidents & First Ladies
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > United States

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Intro for Preschoolers, July 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography) (Paperback)

My four year olds really liked this book and Adler's book on George Washington. We have looked at some of the other books in the series, and the subject matter in some others seems too old for preschoolers. My preschoolers were interested in the Lincoln and Washington books because they liked hearing about presidents and (because they are boys!) wars. But one caution about the Lincoln book: be prepared to talk about Lincoln getting shot (there's an illustration of this happening). Also, the book discusses slavery and depicts a slave auction. The pictures are as innocuous as possible, and my children were not upset, but you should plan in advance for how you are going to introduce this piece of history in an age appropriate way.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner biography, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography) (Paperback)

Perfect biography for first through fourth graders. Adorablecartoon pictures and packed with information.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bob Soriano TED 451, October 23, 2005

By 

Bob Soriano (Pomona, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography) (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book as a tool for children in the primary grades especially. The content and illustrations are not thorough enough for older children but are perfect for students in the K-3 ages. The length of the book was appropriate but it seemed to sometimes drag on for a while. I especially liked the timeline at the end of the story which is typical in this specific series of books. The depiction of Abe Lincoln was just right for the intended audience and it allowed the readers to understand why he is such a hero in this country.