Details
Synopsis
Briefly traces the life of Theodore Roosevelt, from his privileged childhood through the personal tragedies he endured to his swearing in as the twenty-sixth president of the United States.
| Size | | Height: | 11.3 in | | Width: | 9.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 14.4 oz |
Industry Reviews
Gr 2-4 Following the same format as she used in Young Abe Lincoln (National Geographic, 1996), Harness adds Theodore Roosevelt to her biography series featuring famous American statesmen. While the title and book jacket highlight "young Teddy," the text takes readers from Roosevelt's birth to his inauguration as the 26th president of the United States. The narrative begins smoothly enough with an overview of Roosevelt's family and early home life, but it moves on in bits and spurts, jumping from one major personal crisis or historical event to the next. For example, Roosevelt enters the Spanish-American War, leads his "Rough Riders" through gunfire, is elected governor of New York, and joins McKinley's re-election team as the vice presidential candidate all in two double-page spreads. The framed text is surrounded by spirited full-color illustrations that offer a sense of excitement, but the appealing hand-lettered maps often prove more decorative than functional. Ultimately, the picture-book format packs instant visual success, while the uneven text limits its usefulness as a source of information. An extra item at best. Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Lopate
The lavish watercolors convey almost as much information as the text, which is usually confined to a small, boxed-in area of the page. Harness keeps the artwork interesting by varying the layout, combining single-subject spreads with collage-like arrangements that mix several scenes and use a variety of elements, such as borders, maps, and captions. Picture-book biographies of this caliber are a good buy, since, in addition to the target audience, they can be used by beginning readers and pre-readers to get basic information, as well as by older youngsters needing substitutes for the longer, more difficult books their peers may be using.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
Peterson
The narrative begins smoothly enough with an overview of Roosevelt's family and early home life, but it moves on in bits and spurts, jumping from one major personal crisis or historical event to the next. For example, Roosevelt enters the Spanish-American War, leads his 'Rough Riders' through gunfire, is elected governor of New York, and joins McKinley's re-election team as the vice presidential candidate all in two double-page spreads. The framed text is surrounded by spirited full-color illustrations that offer a sense of excitement, but the appealing hand-lettered maps often prove more decorative than functional. Ultimately, the picture-book format packs instant visual success, while the uneven text limits its usefulness as a source of information. An extra item at best.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
Bush
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