What was Abraham Lincoln like as a kid?

   I was feeling patriotic during the July 4th weekend and picked up a picture book biography on Abraham Lincoln called Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln. Unlike most biographies that focus on Lincoln's presidency and his policies, Stand Tall Abe Lincoln, centers on Abe's childhood. So what was our 16th president like as a kid?

Description: Abraham Lincoln grew up poor and without schooling in a Kentucky wilderness and lost his mother before he was ten. His stepmother, Sally Bush Johnston, brought a library of books to their log cabin home, ignited Abe's passion for learning, and believed in Abe from the beginning. She was an inspiring turning point for young Abe, who went on to become America’s sixteenth, most popular, and respected president.

Review: I really enjoyed this well written and illustrated picture book biography. The book portrays Abe as an ordinary people who goes to school, makes his friends, and does his chores around the house. Along side this light-hearted moments are hard obstacles such as losing a parent at a very young age and living in poverty. Of course the educator in me loves how young Abe discovers his passion for learning by reading books from his illiterate stepmother's library, which also gave him a way out of poverty. While some may think Faulkner's  illustrations are comical and exaggerated, I thought they were warm, intimate, and caught my attention. I saw a real person in those pictures not a cold portrait that is displayed in many biographies on Abraham Lincoln.  A biographical note on Lincoln's later life is also included and a bibliography is also appended. If you don't have this book in your collection, I highly recommend it that you add it.

Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies

Words of Caution: None


If you like this book, try: Take the Lead, George Washington or Make your mark, Franklin Roosevelt by Judith St. George