Review by Booklist Review
Lincoln Borglum was 15 when his father, Gutzon, the world's only mountain carver, drilled the first hole into Mount Rushmore. But it would be another 14 years before the monument was finished and by that point the 29-year-old Lincoln would be site supervisor, having taken over for a father who didn't live to see his masterpiece's completion. Coury's text is full of surprising facts: only three carvings were planned before President Coolidge made a case for adding Roosevelt; the figures were intended to be from the waist up before the work became overwhelming; and Jefferson's entire face had to be destroyed and redone due to fragile rock. While Lincoln Borglum never emerges as a fully developed character, the step-by-step-by-step (it was a long process) descriptions of planning and dynamiting are fascinating, and Comport's realistic illustrations of the various bridges and slings built all along the famous sculptures are eye-opening and reveal the project's dizzying scope. Perfect for history units, this is a great piece of work about a great piece of work.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-What would it be like to be the son of the man who was the sculptor of Mount Rushmore? Lincoln Borglum was only 12 when his father took the commission. As he grew up, he learned about every aspect of the project, and eventually, at age 26, became the superintendent under his father. When Ghutzon Borglum died suddenly from complications of surgery, Lincoln was ready to step in and bring the project to a satisfying conclusion. This slightly fictionalized narrative of Borglum's life is engaging and informative. Coury includes details about how the monument was made, working conditions, equipment, and techniques. Although this is a biography, there is as much information about how the mountain was actually sculpted as in Judith Jango-Cohen's Mount Rushmore (Lerner, 2011) or Dana Meachem Rau's Mount Rushmore (Compass Point, 2002). Comport's acrylic and pastel illustrations do a good job of capturing the spirit of the text. The pictures of the mountain and scenery seem almost photorealistic, while the people are slightly less detailed and more stylized. The difference reinforces the grandeur and permanence of the sculpture while portraying the varying emotions of the people. This is an interesting biography with good curriculum tie-in potential.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Lincoln Borglum was young when his father Gutzon was commissioned to carve Mount Rushmore. Lincoln learned much from his father, and his hard work and skills earned him the honor of finishing the project after Gutzon's death. Interesting details combine with bold acrylic and pastel illustrations to add perspective and significance to this little-known historic figure. Limited follow-up resources weaken the volume. Bib. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
You're a dutiful son; your father, renowned sculptor Gutzon Borglum, designed the presidential monuments on Mount Rushmore. You finish the job when your father dies, but history will ignore you. This book's aim is to rectify history's misstep. It takes readers from Lincoln Borglum's shy childhood to the beginning of the project in 1927, when he was a teen, and on through its completion 14 years later. Lincoln was deeply involved, working at many grueling tasks alongside hundreds of crewmen. Readers learn that Gutzon designed a Hall of Records, never constructed, to be built behind the sculptures. They also discover that Jefferson's head was once carved on a different site on the mountain but had to be demolished and reconstructed elsewhere. Lincoln did swing under a president's nose, although, despite the title, the author doesn't confirm it was Jefferson's. Mount Rushmore commemorates four presidents; this serviceably written book memorializes the younger Borglum. Lincoln is sympathetic, and readers will be glad he enjoyed future success, described in an afterword. The acrylic-and-pastel paintings are rendered in earth and muted tones and give a sense of the monument's scale. The final endpapers depict the four presidents; younger children would benefit from their being identified. A mostly outdated, seemingly child-unfriendly bibliography is unhelpful. Much has been written for children about Mount Rushmore. While this isn't a must-have, it offers a new approach to this landmark. (Picture book/biography 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
