Eleanor (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

by Barbara Cooney (Author) "From the beginning the baby was disappointment to her mother..." (more)
Key Phrases: Grandma Hall, Uncle Ted

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Award-winning author Cooney presents a well-researched and poignant storybook biography of Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood. The wartime First Lady of the New Deal, who became one of the most beloved Americans for her empathy with the downtrodden, was famously unglamorous and plain in looks, even as a child. Her beautiful and awful mother humiliated the little girl, calling her Granny, "because she is so funny and old-fashioned looking." Orphaned at nine the girl eventually found her way to confidence, helped initially by a boarding-school headmistress. The book mentions only briefly Roosevelt's later achievements, so a parent will have to supply a little context for this tale of an ugly duckling who turns into, not a swan, but a fulfilled and happy duck. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
The privileged though painful childhood of First Lady and humanitarian Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) is chronicled with tenderness and care in Caldecott Medalist Cooney's (Emily; The Ox-Cart Man) memorable picture book biography. Skillfully compressing a bounty of detail, the author/artist focuses on Eleanor's emotional life as a childhood "ugly duckling": "From the beginning the baby was a disappointment to her mother," Cooney begins. The tale ends with Eleanor's years at Allenswood, the English boarding school whose gifted headmistress helped transform Eleanor into a confident young woman. Cooney wisely refrains from specifically naming the Roosevelt family, allowing children to experience the text as an entertaining story as well as a piece of history. Creamy, reverently rendered paintings portray fashionable Manhattan, Hudson River Valley and Long Island settings; Cooney's intricate reproductions of houses and her recreations of period clothing and interiors are pleasures to behold as well as visual history lessons. An afterword sheds light on Eleanor Roosevelt's career (but would have benefited from the inclusion of her birth, marriage and death dates); most readers will probably want to explore more fully the groundbreaking achievements outlined here. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; 1st Scholastic edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140555838
• ISBN-13: 978-0439137362
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #155,994 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a moving book!, February 2, 2002

By A Customer

It leaves hope that a child who is rejected for being unattractive and shy can find a person who is accepting and willing to reach out to them. It also reminds me how important a teacher can be to bring out the best in a pupil and prepare them for adult life and self-acceptance.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful introduction to an important lady., May 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eleanor (Hardcover)

Barbara Cooney provides a true hero for all of today's children. This beautiful story of Eleanor Roosevelt's early life will serve not only as an introduction to this important lady but also as an inspiration to achieve great things in life.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eleanor Roosevelt from the Beginning....., May 23, 2002

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Eleanor (Hardcover)

"From the beginning the baby was a disappointment to her mother. She was born red and wrinkled, an ugly little thing. And she was not a boy." So begins Barbara Cooney's poignant and inspirational picture book biography of Eleanor Roosevelt's unhappy childhood. Born to beautiful and gregarious parents, this plain, shy, fearful little girl was orphaned at the young age of nine, and spent a lonely and isolated childhood living in the homes of her fabulously wealthy relatives. At the age of fifteen, her grandmother sent her off to Allenswood, a boarding school in Britain, and there under the tutelage of headmistress, Mlle. Souvestre, ugly duckling Eleanor began to grow and bloom, becoming the remarkable, poised, and confident woman America loved and admired..... Ms Cooney's well researched, gentle story is both fascinating and engaging as it captures the essence of an introverted and intelligent child trying to discover her true nature and talents, and is complemented by her marvelously evocative illustrations. Each picture is filled with meticulous late-nineteenth century detail, from the period dress and grand houses with their opulent interiors, to the captivating streets and parks of New York City, and country life on Long Island. Together word and art paint an intriguing and captivating picture of both little Eleanor, and the times in which she lived. With a short afterword detailing some of Mrs Roosevelt's later accomplishments, Eleanor is a superb introduction that is sure to whet the appetite of youngsters 6-10, and send them out looking for more.