America : A Patriotic Primer (Hardcover)

~ Lynne Cheney (Author), Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator) "A is for America, the land that we love..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, George Washington

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Written by Lynne Cheney, author and wife of Vice President Richard Cheney, to honor this "beautiful land made more beautiful still by our commitment to freedom," America: A Patriotic Primer is a proud celebration of the individuals, milestones, and principles of this nation. Each busy spread features elaborately decorated letters of the alphabet, with one or two kids draped over its bars and loops, along with the highlighted concept or person: "N is for Native Americans, who came here first," "T is for Tolerance." Surrounding every letter is a veritable circus of entertaining and useful related information, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move). "J is for Jefferson," for example, is bordered with biographical details and quotations from Thomas Jefferson, while mini images depict the third president's famous home (Monticello), some of his inventions, and a description of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This compelling picture book will work best as a supplement for children who are already immersed in basic American history at school. Teachers and parents will enjoy exploring with their kids every inch of the detailed, hand-drawn and illustrated U.S. map found in "U is for United States," explaining and elaborating on the historical lessons as appropriate. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

The Second Lady teams up with Glasser (the You Can't Take a Balloon series) to create this well-intentioned ("I wrote this book because I want my grandchildren to understand how blessed we are," writes Cheney in her introduction) if rather listless alphabet book celebrating the United States and its history. Rendered in ink, watercolor washes and colored pencil, Glasser's detailed, bustling art features multiple images on each spread and inventive borders containing pictures and brief factoids, yet the spreads have a slightly washed-out quality. The alphabetical entries include renowned individuals (Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln), milestones in this country's history (The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence) and generic terms (heroes, ideals, oath, patriotism, suffrage, valor). As the alphabet winds down, Cheney strikes a sentimental note, drawing readers into her narrative with her assertion that "Y is for You and all you will be in this greatest of countries, the land of the free." Glasser then provides simulated snapshots of children with captions denoting their career aspirations (e.g., "future art critic" and "test pilot of tomorrow"). Although many of the anecdotes and quotations from presidents and other patriots appear in a tiny type face, children will likely pore over the pages to glean the interesting tidbits offered. Cheney's concluding notes provide details about some of the individuals or events mentioned on the prior pages. A competent though less than compelling tribute. All ages.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (May 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689851928
• ISBN-13: 978-0689851926
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,198 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #8 in	Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Politics & Government
  #56 in	Books > Children's Books > Basic Concepts > Alphabet
  #64 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 165 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars T is For Tolerance, June 1, 2002

By	Dee Collins (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

I have always associated Mrs. Cheney with conservative politics. I could not imagine her writing a book covering American history that I would not find distasteful for professing conservative philosophy. My liberal soul stood ready to detest whatever she wrote sight unseen. The first lesson I learned from "America: A Patriotic Primer" is that "T is for Tolerance", as I truly regret my liberal snobbery. This book should not be seen as authored by a conservative writer, but merely as one written by an American, one that truly loves America, American values, and America's promise through its children. Rightly, no political viewpoint is taken, other than professing the greatness of our history and the profundity of our ideals.

This is a book best read with your child not as a story book from cover to cover, but rather savored in an unhurried fashion by jumping from place to place. I think it is best to let one of Ms. Glasser's wonderfully cheerful illustrations draw your child in, and then let the discussion go from there.

This is a great first book on American history for any family with young children (whether that family leans "left" or "right") looking for a fun, informative, and simple approach to American patriotism.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An wonderful, important book for readers young and old, May 23, 2002

By A Customer

I was skeptical of a "Patriotic Primer" written by Mrs. Cheney, but I have to say that this is a wonderful book for readers ages 4-8, especially. I think elementary school teachers, who are struggling to work history into their curriculum, will find this book to be a treasure-trove of information and stepping off points for classroom discussion and projects. I find it refreshing that a "celebrity" book is an informative history book. Whatever you think of Mrs. Cheney, you can't argue with her on the need for our children to be better educated on American history. This is a book that will enlighten young readers as well as their parents. The detailed research notes in the back were of particular interest to me as an adult reader, and my 5 year old daugher loved the exuberant illustrations. Put your politics aside...this is a book for
all--young and old!

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Appreciation, May 25, 2002

By A Customer

First of all, I'm a teacher and I'd like to mention
that the best alphabet books are ones with clear memory
cues such as A is for apple, i. e. if you are using a
book to teach the alphabet. Each picture gives a clear
memory cue for the letter. We associate what we need
to learn with something we already know. That's what
the memory experts say! It works!

I even have had great success by having parents create
their own alphabet books by having their children cut
pictures from magazines for each letter. It is a great
learning experience and the children love to have their
own books! Taping pictures and having an adult print
letters in a composition book works fine, or you can get
more fancy.

The main goal of this book is NOT to teach the alphabet.
The goal is to teach very young children an appreciation
of US heritage. Notice, the ages are for 4-8. This book
is a great springboard for discussion, songs, and other books.

My children and I appreciate the book very much. ...