Vinnie and Abraham

by Dawn FitzGerald, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

Overview

The amazing true story of the young woman who immortalized Lincoln's face in stone. 

Vinnie Ream is a small girl with a giant gift for sculpture. She starts by playing in the Wisconsin clay, but when the Civil War breaks out, her family moves to Washington D.C., setting Vinnie on a whole new path: apprentice to a famous sculptor, depictor of Congressmen and politicians, eventual sculptor of the Lincoln bust. After Lincoln's assassination, she fights doubt and prejudice for the honor of sculpting the full-size statue of Lincoln that now stands in the Capitol rotunda.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570916441
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2009
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dawn FitzGerald is a former teacher and the author of several books for children, including GETTING IN THE GAME (Roaring Brook) and JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL: SAVING THE REDWOODS (Millbrook). She lives in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

Editorial Reviews

♦ This picture book biography presents Vinnie Ream as a young woman who transcended the conventions of her time through determination and a remarkable talent for sculpture. Living in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War, Vinnie, 14, became one of the U.S. Postal Service’s first female employees, but she spent her spare time modeling in clay. She apprenticed herself to a renowned sculptor and progressed so well that at 18, she had daily sessions with President Lincoln while she worked to create his likeness. After Lincoln’s assassination, Congress commissioned her to sculpt a marble statue of the late president, which is still on display in the Capital rotunda. Fitzgerald’s clearly written narrative portrays Vinnie as a hardworking, resolute person who succeeded through her own gifts and the help of others who believed in her. Stock’s watercolor paintings light up the pages. The joy of the Washington street scene marking the war’s end is all the more vibrant in contrast with quiet pictures of Vinnie sculpting the president. Back matter includes an author’s note about Vinnie’s later life as well as a list of books and online resources. A spirited introduction to a little-known artist.

—Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

Gr 2–4
Vinnie Ream is best known for her life-size marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, unveiled in 1871 when she was only 23 years old, that stands in the Capitol Rotunda. Little information on this fascinating American sculptor has been available for an elementary audience. FitzGerald does a credible job of filling that gap. She chronicles Ream's life, including her Wisconsin childhood, the family's move to Washington, DC, at the beginning of the Civil War, and her distinction, at the age of 14, of being one of the first women hired by the U.S. Post Office. She covers Ream's apprenticeship to a prominent sculptor and her growing relationships with Congressmen who came to have their statues made, and who eventually persuaded the president to sit for her. FitzGerald puts the controversy surrounding her receipt of the commission for Lincoln's memorial statue in a context understandable by elementary students, avoiding mention of the scandalous allegations made at the time concerning how an inexperienced young woman could sway members of Congress. No mention is made of Ream's possible involvement in affecting the vote during Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial. Stock's watercolors capture the energy and excitement of both the young woman and Civil War Washington, although why the endpapers are festooned with a jumble of flowers is a mystery. An author's note discusses which aspects of the book have been fictionalized and the remainder of the woman's life. While the writing seems rushed at times, this is a good introduction.
—Grace OliffCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Vinnie Ream was very small (under five-feet-tall), but she was also strong, smart and a talented sculptor. Her standing statue of President Abraham Lincoln in the capitol rotunda was completed while she was still a teenager. FitzGerald romanticizes and sentimentalizes her story, but Vinnie did indeed work at the post office during the Civil War, and sang for wounded soldiers in hospital. Vinnie spent five months sculpting Lincoln's head in clay in preparation, and she was the youngest artist and the first woman to receive a commission from the government. She went on to sculpt many other notable Americans, including Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee and Sequoyah. Stock's watercolor illustrations capture Vinnie's beautiful energy, as well as life in Washington DC during and after the war. The author's note explains that while several of the quotes are fiction, the story is based on the sculptor's writings and other biographies of her. A resource list will allow readers to explore further in print and online. (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews