Review by New York Times Review
"AWAY BACK IN my childhood, the earliest days of my being able to read," Abraham Lincoln nostalgically remembered on the eve of his first inauguration, "I got hold of a small book Weems' 'Life of Washington.' " The future president never forgot its vivid accounts of the battles and heroes of the Revolutionary War, not to mention the causes for which the founders fought. "I recollect thinking then, boy even though I was," he reminisced, "that there must have been something more than common that those men struggled for." The book's stories "fixed themselves on my memory," he proudly added, acknowledging that "these early impressions last longer than any others." It is entirely possible that some other future president, boy or girl, may cast eyes on these four works of presidential biography and poetry, inviting the question: Will any of the books inspire young readers to revere and emulate - or, just as usefully, question and critique - their subjects? It's probably too much to expect. Modern juvenile biographies hardly strive for the Weems effect. They are mercifully shorter than that notoriously bloated tome, and far less hagiographic. It is fair to admit, on the other hand, that young Abe Lincoln would not have liked books with "an edge," just as today's young readers would never stand for the reverential bloviating in Weems's megaselling bible of myths. Yet even Lincoln would have appreciated the beautiful and often amusing color illustrations that accompany the best of today's kid-lit biographies. In Lincoln's day, a stilted engraving of a miniature George Washington manfully admitting he had cut down his father's cherry tree was about as visually daring as things got. Happily, no such restraints inhibit the acclaimed artist-writer Maira Kalman, whose exuberant Matisse-like style, eye for unusual detail, and disarming bluntness enliven her breezy and typically offbeat life of Thomas Jefferson. She talks children's language, too. Her subject is interested in "everything," she enthuses in a text overflowing with capital letters and emphatic script "I mean it. Everything." So is Kalman. She illustrates and explicates on everything from Jefferson's freckles (20 of them in all, she thinks), formidable linguistic talents, collecting mania, green thumb, fondness for ice cream, inventiveness and inexhaustible energy. Then, once she has us ensnared in her whimsical world, she hits us with five blunt pages on the horrors of slavery, calmly and cannily introducing the subject with a spare interior view of a cramped slave cabin, followed by a busy depiction of enslaved cooks tending Jefferson's kitchen, which he enters obliviously each week, she tells us, merely to wind the grandfather clock. It's about as much as readers aged 5 to 8 should be expected to absorb about Jefferson's - and his country's - shameful hypocrisy without having a sleep-inducing bedtime story descend into a nightmare-evoking all-nighter. Kalman, a subtle but shrewd moralizer, is right on the mark in summarizing Jefferson as "optimistic and complex and tragic and wrong and courageous." Her book is hypnotically charming, abounding with striking little details that children will remember. Who wouldn't be enthralled to know that the author of the Declaration of Independence had blazing red hair, liked peas, counted to 10 when he was angry, and had his frayed coats mended with old socks? C. F. Payne's soft-toned illustrations, which grace Doreen Rappaport's lovely little volume on Theodore Roosevelt, prove no less gripping, although they hardly approach a Kalmanesque "edge." The text inevitably offers classic "weakling to heman" inspiration, following young Teddy (in truth not so nicknamed until he met his future wife, we're told) as he transforms from nearsighted nerd to Energizer Bunny workaholic. Rappaport, who is strongest on Roosevelt's childhood years, portrays the grown-up T.R. as a crusader without warts, reforming the corrupt New York Police Department, achieving military glory with the Rough Riders, and busting selfish corporate trusts. The book sidesteps Roosevelt's tendency to use "bully" as both a catchword and a political tactic, and brushes past his anticlimactic 1912 try for a White House comeback - Doris Kearns Goodwin may now breathe a sigh of relief - but Rappaport is no less persuasive than Kalman in evoking the virtues of energy and curiosity. And Payne's pictures advance the text with spirit and inventiveness: The double-page illustration showing President Roosevelt lassoing a gigantic fist gripping a wad of cash, to name one, neatly evokes T.R.'s crusading spirit while wordlessly critiquing the American mania for wealth. With similar proficiency, the illustrator AG Ford's John Currin-like realism makes Jonah Winter's new biography, "JFK," sparkle like a Life magazine collectors' edition, but here it is the text that produces the true startle effect. Yes, of course, we will be told that John F. Kennedy, too, adored study, exercise and family fun, but Winter opens his account at the end of the story with a whale of a first-person revelation: He was a 1-year-old perched on his father's shoulders peering at the Dallas motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963, just a few minutes before the president lost his life. Winter watched Kennedy "waving to the crowds of cheering people, watched him getting smaller and smaller as the car drove on." Could a 1-year-old really be left with such vivid impressions? A reality check would be superfluous. Amid the recent avalanche of 50th-anniversary assassination rehash, how many other authors can offer such an extraordinarily personal connection to the tragedy? It's been a few years since I've read bedtime books to my grandson - he now reads to me - but I would have happily chosen all of the above to read to my own future president (and then tried stealing Kalman's for my own bookshelf). After all, what could be more nourishing and soothing than a dose of inspiring success stories leavened by the occasional, if sugarcoated, dose of reality? For variety, the poems in "Rutherford B. Who Was He?" will surely entertain any little insomniac even if the sometimes tortured rhymes won't soon supplant Dr. Seuss. Still, one has to give Marilyn Singer credit for rhyming "drudge" and "pudge" for Taft, "underrated" and "celebrated" (Carter), "jazz cat" and "New Democrat" (Clinton), and "Afghanistan" and "Yes, we can!" (guess who?). Suppose, as in the case of my grandson, it takes at least three books on one soothing subject to elicit grudging consent for lights-out. From an hour's immersion in these four adorable volumes of presidential lore, one encouraging common theme emerges: Jefferson "read many books," Teddy Roosevelt "gobbled up books," and John F. Kennedy "loved words." The lesson is: Read, and then read some more. These particular titles would not be a bad place to begin. HAROLD HOLZER is the author of "Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America," the officialyoung readers' companion book to the Steven Spielberg film.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [January 26, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Theodore Roosevelt's big ideas and big personality come together in this splendid picture-book biography. Most readers won't know who Roosevelt is, but they will be drawn into the book by the laughing portrait on the otherwise wordless cover. Once inside, they will be hooked by Rappaport's portrait of young Teedie, a sickly child who is nonetheless high-spirited and curious about everything. And he is determined to do as his father insists: make over his body so that it is as strong as his mind. The book's artful design uses two-page spreads to convey Roosevelt's wide-ranging interests and experiences charging up San Juan Hill; isolating himself in the Dakota territory, after the death of his first wife; even struggling to bust trusts to help small companies compete (here the image is of a small Roosevelt roping a huge hand tightly holding a wad of money). The only picture that doesn't really work, ironically, is the dully colored spread that discusses TR's conservation efforts. The text neatly balances brevity and information, and key quotes are in a bold font that draws the eye. Occasionally, events could have been tied together more smoothly, but overall this is a terrific introduction to one of America's most energetic and far-sighted presidents.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rappaport continues her series of biographies that emphasize direct quotations from their subjects (including Helen's Big World and Abe's Honest Words) by studying the setbacks and successes of Theodore Roosevelt. The author proceeds chronologically, noting Roosevelt's sickliness as a child (as well as his love of animals, which continued through his life), before moving on to his two marriages, service in the New York State Assembly and other public positions, the Rough Riders' taking of San Juan Hill, and his accomplishments as president, after ascending to office following the McKinley assassination. Payne provides hazy, burnished illustrations that alternately reflect Roosevelt's seriousness of purpose (he's shown lassoing a giant fist clutching money as he takes on corporate trusts), playfulness (as in a White House scene crawling with children and pets), and love of nature (Rappaport outlines how Roosevelt helped conserve "230 million acres" of American land). A timeline and suggestions for further reading round out a biography that, despite its brevity, gives a full sense of Roosevelt's life. Ages 6-8. Author's agent: Faith Hamlin, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Once again, Rappaport offers an accessible introduction to one of the world's most influential people, punctuating her poignant narrative with well-chosen quotes that help frame the life of an important figure. Roosevelt stands tall in American history, but his childhood was one of serious illness that kept him bedridden for long periods of time. He became an avid reader and yearned for the life of the adventurers he read about. "Teedie," as he was called, longed to explore the wilderness and yearned to be a "fearless" man like his heroes. From his early political career through the challenges of his presidency, this book chronicles how he became that fearless leader. He confronted injustice head-on and promised a "Square Deal" to all citizens, opposed many special business interests, including the use of child labor, and sought to protect the nation's wildlife and preserve its beauty. The highs and lows of both his personal and public life are presented here, including the death of his beloved wife, his experience as a soldier with the "Rough Riders," and being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. Rappaport breathes life into her subject in a way that is sure to spark the interest of the most reluctant reader. Her choice of quotations defines the man's lively personality and charisma, and Payne's softly shaded artwork highlights his facial expressions and dramatically captures the robust emotion, good humor, and unstinting courage that are the hallmarks of the 26th president. Concisely written and yet poetic, this is a first purchase for every library. -Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY (c) Copyright 2013. 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
In her latest picture book biography, Rappaport capably distills Theodore Roosevelt's life with the help of her trademark primary source quotations interspersed throughout the main text. "Teedie" was a sickly child with a strong intellect and a persistent will. Those latter qualities would serve him well in his adult life, starting with a term in the New York State Assembly and moving on to leadership positions including governor, vice president, and (upon the assassination of William McKinley) president of the United States. Roosevelt had a double standard when it came to other countries interfering in Latin America, but he successfully built the Panama Canal; his domestic agenda included curbing big business and conserving natural resources. Rappaport's account of Roosevelt's political career is balanced with brief but intimate glimpses into his two marriages and family life. As good as Rappaport's text is, however, Payne's illustrations -- which seem to straddle the worlds of fine art and political cartoon -- are even better, and allow him to capture Roosevelt's multifaceted, larger-than-life personality. On one spread, Payne depicts a fiery Roosevelt lecturing an uninterested legislature; on the next, he shows the man astride his horse in the Dakota Territory with snow falling gently, head bowed in grief at the death of his beloved first wife; and on yet another, he shows the rambunctious Roosevelt clan tearing around the White House. A timeline and bibliography are included. jonathan hunt(c) Copyright 2014. 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
U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt certainly dared mighty things, and this lavish picture-book biography deftly captures the legendary man's bold, exuberant nature. Young "Teedie" Roosevelt wanted to be fearless like Daniel Boone and the Valley Forge soldiers he read about, but he was a sickly child. A dramatic full-bleed spread shows the quilt-wrapped Teedie reading in a big chair, visions of polar bears and eagles dancing in his head--an apt reflection of the boy who would go on to keep a giant tortoise in his room at Harvard and then to help protect America's wildlife. Roosevelt's private joys and sorrows as well as professional highlights from his Rough Rider days in Cuba to his 1906 Nobel Peace Prize are chronicled here in colorful, accessible prose, punctuated by character-illuminating quotations. This is a portrait of a passionate man who wanted to make a difference and did, as police commissioner or author, cattle rancher or U.S. president. Payne's expressive, muted paintings--quite grand when showcasing America's majestic landscapes--are full of warmth and humor befitting the joyful man who declared "No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way." A truly inspiring tribute to a seemingly larger-than-life U.S. president. (timeline, selected research sources, bibliography, websites, acknowledgments) (Picture book/biography. 7-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
