Of Thee I Sing: Read & Listen Edition

by Barack Obama, Loren Long

Overview

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, now available as a Read & Listen edition, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America’s children.
 
Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans and the innocence and promise of childhood.
 
This beautiful book celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans, from our nation’s founders to generations to come. It is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths. It is a treasure to cherish with your family forever.

This ebook includes Read & Listen audio narration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375986048
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	11/16/2010
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	272,766
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)
File size:	43 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Barack Obama is the forty-fourth president of the United States. Born in Hawaii to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, he himself is now the father of two daughters, Malia and Sasha. It was spending time with them that inspired him to write Of Thee I Sing.

 
About the Illustrator

Loren Long is the bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved books for children, including Drummer Boy and the New York Times bestseller Otis. Born in Missouri and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, he is also the illustrator of Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could, as well as Toy Boat, I Dream of Trains, and Wind Flyers. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Tracy, their two sons, Griffith and Graham, and their dogs, Elle and Moon.

Editorial Reviews

In this letter to his daughter Malia and Sasha, President Barack Obama personalizes the precepts that have made our country great. By singling out thirteen remarkable Americans, he shows how each embodies traits that all of us, regardless of age, can admire and emulate. Loren Long's evocative illustrations strike just the right note.

Already the author of two books for adults, President Obama turns toward young Americans with this picture book tribute to 13 men and women--and corresponding qualities of character--that demonstrate the nation's best. Written before he took office, the book directly addresses daughters Sasha and Malia, who appear throughout, joined by young versions of Georgia O'Keeffe, Helen Keller, Sitting Bull (a selection that's already generating controversy), Neil Armstrong, and the rest--a tangible reminder that every hero, artist, and explorer was once a child. Obama asks a series of questions, followed by poetic descriptions of each famous American. "Have I told you that you don't give up?" appears opposite Martin Luther King, Jr., hands joined in solidarity with civil rights supporters; "Have I told you to be proud to be American?" accompanies a winter scene of General George Washington encouraging a trio of soldiers ("He helped make an idea into a new country, strong and true"). On the left side of each spread, the growing chorus of children faces Long's paintings--by turns majestic, whimsical, and rousing--as though watching history unfold. The group is highly diverse, both in backgrounds and accomplishments, creating a collective portrait of citizens' inspiration, dedication, and bravery. Ages 3–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2–5—In characteristically measured prose, the 44th President introduces 13 American icons and heroes as exemplars of personal virtues, from Georgia O'Keeffe (creativity) and Jackie Robinson (courage) to Helen Keller (strength) and Cesar Chavez (inspiration). Though he includes Billie Holiday in his gallery (a gifted singer, but an iffy role model) along with a free translation of Chavez's !Si se puede! as "Yes, you can!" (which was his campaign slogan: the official UFW version is a more accurate but stiffer "Yes, it can be done!"), Obama offers general but cogent summations of why each figure merits admiration—Martin Luther King Jr., for instance, "taught us unyielding compassion," and Helen Keller, "never waiting for life to get easier," "gave others courage to face their challenges." Long's superb technical gifts and gentle sense of humor shine in the pictures. Posed nobly and, usually, hard at work in full-page scenes, each man or woman also appears as a willowy but recognizable child on the facing and following pages, joining a growing crowd of young observers gazing across the center stitching and exchanging symbolic tools of their various trades. Their ranks swelled with more children, these younger versions turn to face viewers on the penultimate spread, followed by a closing painting of the author walking with his daughters and a page of reasonably accurate historical notes. As well as offering thought-provoking choices and commentary, this stately outing leads naturally to Lynne Cheney's more populous America: A Patriotic Primer (S & S, 2002) as first introductions to our country's great ones.—John Peters, formerly at New York Public Library

School Library Journal

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