Grace For President

By: Kelly DiPucchio

Such an amazing book! It’s incredibly well done! The pop-ups feature landmarks or items from coast to coast in the USA. I don’t even have to read this one to my kids, it is just fascinating for what it is—a beautiful pop-up book. The pop-ups are done in all white on a bold colored paper background. Keep this book out of tiny hands, but it is stunning!

What is America? Well, it is a nation whose name means freedom to people all over the world. It is fifty states of varying sizes and shapes. It is a flag with stars and stripes, and old barns on country roads. It is skyscrapers and tall prairie grass. It is a land we call home. Great for showing kids what makes America such an incredible place, full of diversity and unity. And instilling a since of pride in the amazing place we call home.

One of my favorite patriotic songs put with some of the most iconic thins about America. The illustrations are bold and paired perfectly with the words. And the last page features page titles About The Artwork and each illustration is showed with a reason/description of why the illustrator chose to draw what he did.

I know you only need one America the Beautiful book, but I really couldn’t stop myself from sharing both this one and the book before. This book features artwork that brings a feeling of nostalgia.  It shares a brief biography about author and musician that made this work famous. It also has a page that shows each illustration and shares why it was chosen to represent the words and where that place can be found in the United States. There is also a map kd some of America’s most beautiful places shown at the end.

This is a book you will use for reference or as a book for older kids. It’s the perfect children’s travel guide to Washington D.C. A longer book with a great description of where Washington D.C. is and what goes on there. It is a place named after the only president who didn’t live there and is the sear of the U.S. government, and host to millions of tourists every year. The vintage illustration style is a favorite a the wording is clean and clear.

Over the long, hot summer of 1787, in a statehouse in Philadelphia, a group of men assembled to wrote what would become America’s most defining document: The Constitution of the United States. This book features the words from the preamble as the text, while taking us on a visual tour of America from a new nation to the modern and diverse country we live in today. It includes a full text of the U.S. Constitution  (in the back of the book and an original photocopy of the document). Along with a brief history of how the U.S. Constitution came to be.

In the smoky dawn after the 1814 Battle of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key reflected on the evening’s fight–the rockets’ red glare and the bombs bursting in air. He was lead to pen the words we all know so well, and have sang to honor our great nation, “The Stat Spangled Banner.” The book features the complete lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner and is an amazing tribute to the American spirit. It has some photographed original documents and a more detailed story of the Star Spangled Banner in the back of the book.

The Statue of Liberty has sat in New York Harbor since 1886 and welcomed millions of immigrants and become a symbol of hope and freedom. But have you ever wondered who created the Statue of Liberty? Where it came from? How it was constructed? Or what it is made out of? The perfect story for teaching kids about what she is, where she came from, and all the other amazing facts about America’s most recognizable landmarks. It is a great book for teaching kids, but also isn’t too wordy.

Duck is back and he is running for president. Duck is tired of Farmer Brown running the farm. He is tired of all the chores and he is determined to make a change. So, he posts signs in the barn for an election. With his campaign slogan—Vote for Duck! For a kinder, gentler farm, Duck is certain he can win and make some change. Duck decides he doesn’t just want to run the farm, but he wants to run the U.S.A. A silly, but fun look at the electoral process.

Join a young baker and her dog as they travel the United States in search of all the tools and items they need to make a cherry pie. She will take you from New Hampshire to New Mexico and Alaska to South Dakota on the search, while teaching you a little about each of those states and more. A fun introduction to the states and what can be found in each other them.

Once there were four lads…John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Ben Franklin. Oh yes, there was also Tom Jefferson, but he was annoyingly independent and hardly ever around. These lads were always getting into trouble for one reason or another. In other words, they took a few…liberties. And to be honest, they were not always appreciated. This is the story of five little lads before they became five really big Founding Fathers. A fun and silly book for introducing children to America’s Founding Fathers and some of their quirks that made them famous.

This is a simple ABC book, with only a few words per page and each page featuring the phrase “_____ is for _____”. From A is for Aligator to Z is for Zydeco kids can discover what makes America unique. I love the topics that are brought up with each letter and the springboard of conversation it can spur with kids. Some of the words mentioned–Grand Canyon, Civil War, Jazz, Pilgrims etc. all great symbols of life in the United States.

This story is written as a parallel between America and its flag. Each spread features two pictures with the same words, but different illustrations. The illustrations are beautiful paintings of the flag and landscapes or images of America/Americans. The text is sparse and the images are powerful. Its a book for all ages that will help all people get a glance at what America is—it’s strength, it’s beautiful landscapes, and it’s diversity.

This book will take you right into the heart of a small town 4th of July celebration. It’s a book that makes me nostalgic for my childhood 4th of July celebrations—from small town parades to BBQs and Fireworks. It’s such a fun an beautiful book about celebrating America’s freedom.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful! It goes from A-Z and talks about the different letters in the alphabet and what they stand for in regards to the U.S.A. It’s a wordier book and thus might not be read from cover to cover each read (or in one read). However, on each page there are two sets of type and one could be read for a quicker read (only a few sentences) and one could be read for a more detailed version (a few paragraphs).