Spaces In Our World, Places In Our Hearts

Each morning a stroll through the gardens reveals the presence of night visitors.  Their tracks are embedded in the dirt.  Stalks and branches from flowers and shrubs lay on the ground, nibbled and left.  Other plants have been eaten to their roots.  There is an abundance of white-tailed deer in our neighborhood.

Truthfully, watching them wander through the apple trees across the street or seeing them stop and stare at us as we walk in the morning never stops being magical. Sharing this space with them is a gift.  Masterful, award-winning author illustrator Yuyi Morales made a new book, Bright Star (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 7, 2021), for us.  In this title we, using a blend of Spanish and English, are presented with beauty, borders, barriers, and the value of all individuals.

Child,

you are

awake!

Breathe in,

then breathe out,

hermosa creatura.

You are beloved.  We hold your light in our hearts.  The world has many things to notice, some easily seen and others more of a challenge.

Exploring together we will find flora and fauna, rich and rare.  Wait!  Pay attention, something is amiss.  For now, stay hidden.  Stay safe.

If we get separated, we still hold your light in our hearts.  If you are fearful or restless, let those around you know of your fright and frustration.  You will be heard.  Then, be still.  Use your senses to make discoveries.

If those discoveries pave a new path, follow it.  Using your mind, fashion a different tale, your tale.  It will be a tale told by those who always hold your light in their hearts.

With each page turn, one to four sentences, simple but thoughtful and intentional, written by Yuyi Morales warmly welcome us into the narrative.  The Spanish and English words are perfect partners in this lyrical dance.  The use of punctuation provides an added liveliness.  We willingly participate in listening to the words and reading them aloud.  Here is the passage we read after a page turn.

So you search!

You are ready,

cosita pequena.

Let's go!

Vamonos!

Looking at the background on the open and matching (reversed images) dust jacket and book case is like being enveloped by an autumn sunset sky.  On the dust jacket, it and the entire image, extend flap edge to flap edge.  The white-tailed deer, a fawn, peering between the cactus on the Sonoran Desert is still, observant.  What does it see?  The rays around the raised title text are embossed in gold foil.  The author illustrator name is raised on the textured fabric.  

The cactus crosses the spine and another one frames the face of a little girl.  She is looking directly at readers.  It is as if she is asking us a question.  On the book case, the image on the back of the jacket is on the front and the front image moves to the back of the book case.  The fawn and the child are one and the same.

The fabric shown on the front of the jacket covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Yuyi Morales has woven threads in golden yellow and forest green along the top and bottom of the pages.  She has embroidered five large stars, made by crossing perpendicular lines.  They are in earth colors.  On the far-left edge on the opening endpapers and on the far-right edge on the closing endpapers is a mass of pink sewn dots, mirroring the color of the cactus flowers.

On the title page, a double-page picture features cactus on either side and a hummingbird on the right.  

The artwork for this book was created using acrylic paint on paper,

photographed textures, digital painting, as well as weaving and embroidery.

Each two-page image in this book asks us to stop.  They are a complete sensory experience.  The representations of flora and fauna are breathtaking.  The backgrounds in the illustrations indicate the narrative mood as well as the time of day.  What do we see in these visuals?

As she did with her words, each element in these images is arranged with intention and considerable thought.  The scene of the destruction around the building of the border wall and the animals wondering how to continue with their instinctive journeys is particularly poignant.  The placement of a wordless picture is perfection.  For the final two page turns, the fawn becomes the girl child.  Deer are embroidered on the front and back of her shirt.  In the last visual, several of the children have featured animals on their shirts.

One of my many favorite illustrations is for the text above cited.  The sky and desert floor are nearly identical in color, as so often happens on a clear, calm morning.  Cactus and small shrubs are peppered on the sand.  A roadrunner, a jack rabbit, a ground squirrel, and a lizard join the fawn and its mother.  Several insects and birds are present.  One of the birds is the hummingbird.  On the left the fawn stands eager to move.  It jumps three times with a blur of movement; until it joins its mother on the right.

At the close of this book, Bright Star written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, in an author's note are eleven supportive statements and paragraphs beginning with

I made this book because . . .

In reading this book, you realize Yuyi Morales has accomplished her reasons and more.  This book is deeply moving and timely.  You can't read it once.  You will want to share it often and widely.  Be sure to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.  At the close of the book in an acknowledgment is a list of videos and films, books, online sources, organizations, and people that assisted in the creation of this title.

To discover more about Yuyi Morales and her other work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name.  Yuyi Morales has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  The cover reveal and conversational thoughts by Yuyi Morales and Neal Porter was hosted by John Schumacher, librarian, lecturer at Rutgers University, and writer, on his Watch. Connect. Read. site.  Yuyi Morales is showcased at Publisher's Weekly where she shares the process for making this book.  At the publisher's website are additional bonus materials.  At Penguin Random House you can view the endpapers.  Here is a link to Yuyi Morales reading her book aloud on video at KidLit TV.  If you are interested here is a link to an event with Yuyi Morales speaking about this book.

It Houses Possibilities

As soon as you step through the doors there is a subtle shift in the atmosphere.  It's a sanctuary softly sizzling with a myriad of choices. It offers an alternative to reality as well as presenting further understanding of that reality.  It sparks fresh ideas by expanding our perceptions.  We never know what we will discover even if we enter with a plan.  It stays the same but is constantly changing.  Many feel like it's coming home.  I count myself among them.

Each day as the doors are unlocked and opened there are those who return and those who enter for the first time.  Dreamers (Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, September 4, 2018) written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales recounts in a touching tribute, the first time she and her son Kelly enter a public library.   Her expressive words and illuminating illustrations serve to uplift all readers.

I dreamed of you,
then you appeared.

Speaking her truth Yuyi tells us of the birth of her son; their connection by life and love.  As a newborn she brings him from their town in Mexico to the United States.  She carries their gathered belongings in a backpack; each a symbol of what is valued most.  When the crossing is completed they become immigrants, migrantes.

Their language, Spanish, is not understood.  They do not yet understand English.  How can you not make mistakes?  They walk, exploring and learning, until one day they enter a place unlike any other.  As far as their eyes can see are books.

Here words are not necessary.  Here pictures speak volumes.  Here possibilities, real and imagined, fill every waking moment.  A gift, freely given, is accepted.

Through books a mother and son learn a new language, reading and writing unfamiliar sentences.  Now their stories are told to people in this new country.  Their hearts are strong knowing what can be.


The first person narrative of Yuyi Morales is written with passionate intention.  Straightforward, declarative sentences tell us her truth.  At times single powerful words define an emotional moment.  Spanish and English, a blending of two languages, represent the bridge being built between two worlds.  Here are several sentences and words.

You and I
became caminantes.

Thousands and thousands of steps
we took around this land,
until the day we found . . .  

a place we had
never seen before.

Suspicious.

Improbable. 


The opened dust jacket completes the stunning partial portrait viewed on the front of Yuyi Morales and her son, Kelly.  Each element in this illustration, actually throughout the book, is carefully chosen, representative of something other than a bird or a butterfly.  Notice the expressions on the face of the mother and that of her son.  What is on the mind of each of them?  The mix of mediums and vivid hues fashions a multi-layered texture.

On the book case the image is identical except for one item.  The eyes of the child and his mother are closed in contentment.  The opening and closing endpapers are a rough, marbleized pattern like sandstone.  A two-page picture is supplied for the title page.  A young girl (Yuyi) has fallen asleep among her drawings next to her mother's sewing machine.  Above the cloud-like title text are stars and clouds.  There are also a few along the bottom of the page.

Numerous forms of media and techniques, as described in How I Made this Book, create these breathtaking and signature illustrations.  The embroidered flowers and leaves and text are marvelous.  Readers will wonder at the significance of the skeleton individual, the guitar, cloth heart with an eye in the center, and dog (perro) in the backpack.  Two volcanoes appear in the background.  What do they represent?

Each of the two-page pictures and a few single page images depict the effervescent spirit of Yuyi Morales.  Readers will notice the appearance of the monarch butterfly frequently.  They will note, too, the swallows, and snakes.  I'm confident they will take equal delight in seeing many of their favorite titles displayed in the scenes in the library.  How many of them can they name by the artwork alone?  How many of them have they read?  The tiny skeleton individual and dog actively participate in the activities of the child and his mother.

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Yuyi and Kelly are seated on the left in the center of an enlarged flower (It was originally tucked in her backpack.)  They are happily reading a book which is only outlined for us.  On her back is the pack with the skeleton and eye looking over her shoulder.  A monarch butterfly is perched on the right corner of the book.  A volcano explodes in-between shelving.  A baseball is soaring.  A fire truck is roaring into the scene.  Books are scattered around them.  Fish and a shark swim from left to right.  A star, a crescent moon and a rocket ship hang in the background.  Along a curve on the right bottom is a bookcase with titles we can read.  The dog, to the front and right, has lifted its head and is howling.  One word is on the page.


This is a book for everyone, immigrants and non-immigrants, readers and non-readers, library users and those who've never been in a library.  Dreamers written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales is an invitation to change your life by entering a library.  It is a beautiful and brilliant ode.  It exudes hope.

To learn more about Yuyi Morales and her other work, please visit her website and blog by following the links attached to her name.  At the publisher's website Holiday House, you can view interior images (Limited Edition First Look), an event kit, follow links to multiple interviews and watch a video, Dreamers Video.  In addition Yuyi Morales is featured at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's site, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast  (This post is priceless.), CBC Diversity and Shelf Awareness.  Yuyi Morales maintains an account on Twitter.  Enjoy this additional video.



UPDATE:  Please take a few moments to read this interview at Scholastic News Kids.

   

To Be Named

In two days another Father's Day will be celebrated.  Families will be paying tribute to dads, uncles, grandfathers, older brothers and significant men in their lives.  For me it will be another Father's Day without my dad.  It will be a day to remember all the memorable moments we shared and those times I've wished for him to be with me.  It will be a day to miss him but to reflect on how much a part of my life he still is on a daily basis.  The tools in his original carpenter's belt are used often, his initials etched in the handles.  The care of my gardens and lawn reflect his green-thumb gifts.  The maintenance of everything I own, making them last beyond the time they should, is due to his constant attention to detail.  It's as if he is right beside me, guiding me.

Dads play important parts in all our lives.  In Sherman Alexie's first picture book, Thunder Boy Jr. (Little, Brown and Company, May 10, 2016) illustrated by Yuyi Morales, a son speaks to readers about his beloved father.  The boy is unsure how to address a huge problem he has.

Hello, my name is 
Thunder Boy.

As his younger sister proclaims he is Thunder Boy Smith.  At birth he received this name from his father.  He would much rather have been given a normal name like Sam. (That's what his mom wanted to call him.)  He is not the only Thunder Boy either, he is Thunder Boy Jr.  His dad is Thunder Boy Sr.

This might be okay but his dad is affectionately and with respect called Big Thunder.  He is Little Thunder.  This does not seem right to him.  He shares a secret with readers.

I HATE MY NAME!

The boy keeps this secret to himself out of love for his dad.  He does imagine being named for accomplishments in his young life.  For touching a wild orca on the nose perhaps he should be named

NOT AFRAID OF TEN THOUSAND TEETH.  

He thinks how much his dog enjoys chasing his own tail and the costume tail Thunder Boy Jr. sometimes wears.  Maybe his name should be

CAN'T RUN FAST WHILE LAUGHING.

He thoughtfully ponders nine possibilities.  How can he be truly himself when he shares a name with his dad?  This little guy does not know what to do with his unhappiness.  Someone far wiser has an answer.  Your heart will swell with the same joy Thunder Boy Jr. feels.


Even though Thunder Boy Jr. has a personal, real dilemma, Sherman Alexie, forms each sentence so readers realize the boy is living in a home filled with loving family members.  We form a compassionate connection to him as he speaks to us.  When he relates his experiences, each which could serve to give him a name more specific to him alone, his exuberance, his zest for life, sails off the pages.  Alexie also uses repetition with excellent effect.  Here is a sample passage.

People call him 

BIG THUNDER.

That nickname is a storm
filling up the sky.

People call me

LITTLE THUNDER.

That nickname makes me
sound like a
burp or a fart.


One of the first things I do when reading a book is to check to see how the artist created the illustrations.  This is what I read on the verso for this book.

The illustrations for Thunder Boy Jr. were made from the remains of an antique house in Xalapa, Mexico, where Yuyi now has her studio and where she created this book.  When the rotting roof and some of the walls came down, she picked out old wood as well as clay bricks that she later scanned and used their colors and textures to digitally paint the illustrations.  

This is why when you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you have to marvel at the force radiating from the images.  The bold outlines and vibrant colors on the sizzling backgrounds are full of energy.  A collage of circles in red, magenta, yellow, turquoise, black and gray fashion a pattern on the opening and closing endpapers.

Text balloons, speech bubbles, are placed throughout the narrative holding narrative words as if they're spoken.  This involves all the characters, even the family's dog.  All of the pages are connected across the gutter even if they portray a separate moment.

Within the story Yuyi Morales, in a series of pictures, includes a mini-story of the boy and his sister disagreeing over the possession of a large colorful ball.   Two other elements which I really like are first the size of the parents with respect to the children.  Our parents are and will remain larger than life to us.  The other aspect is when Thunder Boy Jr. is imagining possible names; the father is a part of the orca and the mountain.

Readers will notice elements from one picture carried into another one; the children riding their bikes, the playing of the guitar and the presence of the bear, coyote (wolf) and snake.  You will want to stop and look at every detail in picture after picture.  The image of Thunder Boy Jr. powwow dancing is stunning.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is of Thunder Boy Jr., his sister and their dog playing in the dirt.  It looks to be fairly muddy with dark brown splotches spreading out from the children and the dog.  The brother and sister are sliding through it on pieces of cardboard.  Their faces are glowing as they laugh and laugh and laugh.  You want to jump in and join them!


With each reading of Thunder Boy Jr. written by Sherman Alexie with illustrations by Yuyi Morales your affection for this boy and his father will grow.  You can almost hold the joy found in these pages in your hands.  This IS a book for everyone.  It is wonderful to read it aloud.


To learn more about Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Sherman Alexie and this title are discussed at The Washington Post.  Sherman Alexie is interviewed on NPR Books about Thunder Boy Jr.  Teacher librarian and 2014 Caldecott committee member Travis Jonker premieres the book trailer on his blog, 100 Scope Notes.  It's a superb trailer.  Both Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales are on Twitter at @Sherman_Alexie @yuyimorales  Yuyi Morales is a 2016 Sendak Fellow.  I have enjoyed following her tweets about this experience.

Painting...Passion...Pride

These things I know to be true.  Each individual observes their surroundings differently.  Using their senses perceptions are formed.  Past experiences figure into interpretation.  These observations, perceptions and interpretations are the basis for individual creativity.

Our young reader's worlds are enhanced by the introduction of creative expression from all cultures.  Every person has a story to tell.  How they tell it is as unique as they are. Mexican artist Frida Kahlo told her story through painting.  Pura Belpre Medal and Honor award winning author illustrator Yuyi Morales has written and illustrated Viva Frida (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press), a stunning tribute and introduction to Frida Kahlo.  Her husband, Timothy O'Meara, is the photographer.  

Soy

I am

Yo

I...

So begins the text in this title.  There are never more than four words in English or seven words in Spanish on any two pages.  Depending on the individual reader their eyes may be drawn to the more cursive silver gray text in Spanish or to the English in a bolder black font beneath it.  

We first learn of Frida Kahlo's desire to seek, then notice.  Her discoveries would often lead to play dictated by her personality.  Her knowledge and her dreams grew her compassion. She came to realize that in loving and creating she was most alive. 

Yuyi Morales uses very explicit verbs to describe Frida Kahlo; words like search, see, know, dream and understand.  By limiting the number used with each illustration she is asking us to look closely at each picture. The pictures interpret the word in the context of her life but also when linked together give a more complete portrayal of the essence of Frida Kahlo.

Intricate visuals rendered in stop-motion puppets made from steel, polymer clay, and wool, acrylic paints, photography and digital manipulation begin on the front of the dust jacket, continuing throughout with the exception of the dream sequence.  At this point Yuyi Morales uses her painting exclusively.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in a pattern of large blue, red, magenta and gold flowers on a brushed, varied golden tan background.  

The double-page picture for the title page starts Morales' story of Frida Kahlo's world.  We see a close-up of an artist's work space; bottles of ink, traditional delicate cut paper work, tubes of paint on a palette, brushes tied together with yarn, a scroll of paper unrolled, a charcoal sketch of puppet Frida and in the upper portion of the page part of a monkey's head, its hand reaching for a key on the table.  With a page turn a soft blue sky with powder puff clouds stretches behind a beautiful view of Frida's face framed with a few green leaves and ornate silver (metal) butterflies.  To the right a parrot takes flight.  

As the narrative continues we, as does Frida, see the monkey on a tree branch with the key.  A small yellow chest is at her feet.  Behind her Diego Rivera, her husband, glances over his shoulder.  Her dog is running toward the tree.  This second illustration in the book tells us much about this woman.  We learn of her pets, her spouse, her signature clothing, and her ability to discover.  

The artistry of Yuyi Morales in these first two illustrations (and every single one which follows) is breathtaking.  Her skill in working with fabrics, lace, embroidery, the placement of tiny jewelry, flowers in Frida's hair, the buttons and clasps on Diego's overalls, and the tiny facial features on the people and animals is wondrous.  The four pages dedicated to the dream are infused with the same emotion as her other visuals even though her medium shifts.  

One of my favorite visuals is of Frida, key in hand, her monkey and dog peering inside the opened chest.  We see them as if we are the puppet inside looking at them. It's a glowing close-up.

Viva Frida written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales with photography by Tim O'Meara is a glorious biographical introduction to an iconic Mexican artist.  It will spark discussion, further inquiry and appreciation.  Having earned a Spanish minor in college, my students have heard me frequently use words and simple phrases.  Reading the text in Spanish first followed by the English creates a marvelous melody.  Yuyi Morales has included a short detailed illustrated biography of Frida Kahlo in English and Spanish at the end of the book.  It is followed by another completed illustration which was being painted earlier.  Gorgeous....simply gorgeous.

Please follow the link embedded in Yuyi Morales' name to access her personal website.  This link takes you to an insightful interview about her at Publishers Weekly relative to this title and her life, Yuyi Morales: PW Talks with the Award-Winning Illustrator.  Here is an interview from November 12, 2013 at Juana Children's Illustrator.  These two links, here, here, and here, take you to TeachingBooks.net where Yuyi Morales pronounces her name with an explanation, speaks on a Viva Frida Meet-The-Author Book Reading and there is a Meet-The-Author video.  UPDATE: Please enjoy the new beautiful video below about the making of this book. UPDATE: Yuyi Morales stopped by Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on October 27, 2014 to provide a photo essay about the making of this book.

I hope you will stop by Kid Lit Frenzy to view the other titles listed by participating bloggers in the 2014 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge hosted by educator and blogger, Alyson Beecher.

My review of this title is based upon an Advance Reader's Edition received from my favorite independent bookstore, McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan.  I hope you will purchase a copy from your nearest independent bookstore or visit your local public library.

...From Sea To Shining Sea

Katharine Lee Bates taught English literature for forty years at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  As the story goes in 1893 after a trek by wagon, mule and foot to the top of Pike's Peak, she was so inspired by the landscape spread before her, she wrote a poem in her journal. Two years later it was first published and has since evolved into one of our nation's most cherished songs, America The Beautiful.

For eight years my two favorite books of this song were both published in 2004.  In his debut picture book illustrator Chris Gall depicts the poem in stunning visuals.  Here are two sentences from the review at Kirkus (March 1, 2004)

Gall, an actual descendant of Bates, illustrates the four verses of this country's other national anthem with bold, clean-lined, heroic American scenes, from a sturdy rural couple contemplating their "amber waves," to firefighters raising a flag over the ruins at Ground Zero.  This broadly idealistic art is infused with a spirit of inclusiveness, as blind Justice towers over a woman in judicial robes, a Tuskegee Airman poses heroically atop his fighter, and in the concluding spread, East meets West in more ways than one at Utah's Promontory Point.

In the middle of October paper engineer, Robert Sabuda gave readers his interpretation.  In a starred review Kirkus (October 1, 2004) states:

The wizard of pop-ups has created a masterpiece---in design, in execution, in boldness of vision, and in artistic and historic integrity.  

In an effort to fill my book gap challenge, several days ago when participating in one of my favorite pastimes, browsing in a bookstore, my attention was completely captured by a new joyful cover of a book titled, America the Beautiful Together We Stand (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.).  Ten notable illustrators, Bryan Collier, Raul Colon, Diane Goode, Mary GrandPre, John Hendrix, Yuyi Morales, Jon J Muth, LeUyen Pham, Sonia Lynn Sadler and Chris Soentpiet have each contributed in their unique illustrative styles to give a new vision to this poetic song.  The result is as varied and resplendent as the land in which we live.


Beginning with O beautiful for spacious skies, the luminous paintings of Chris Soentpiet display a group of happy, shouting, singing children from all ethnic backgrounds holding and waving small American flags with fireworks blossoming above them.  The play of light on each of the faces is a joy to behold.  The detail is nearly photographic.

The pastel painting of Mary GrandPre lights up For amber waves of grain, showing children at play.  A large tree branch in an open field has become their ship adorned in colored cloths for sails and flags birds flying in the sky around them.  They are joined by a happy barking dog.

Raul Colon's distinctive use of watercolor paper, watercolor washes, etching, colored pencils and litho pencils breathes beauty into For purple mountain majesties.  His representation of these words is one of the finest I have ever seen.   Mountains provide a backdrop for five children, (equal in size to the mountains) engaged in activities, basketball, paper airplane flying, skateboarding, baseball and jumping rope.

Sonia Lynn Sadler's usual medium is colored scratchboard.  Her depiction of Above the fruited plain! is a gathering of people from all walks of life of all ages gathered around a large quilt which they are stitching together.  The pieces of the quilt are pictures of Americana from East to West.  Everything is outlined in a fine white line accentuating this colorful array.

America! is shown in a powerful image by Bryan Collier in his technique of watercolor collage.  A faint dark sky blue image of our flag provides the background for tree branches showing faces.  Prominently displayed is a young child hands firmly grasped in front over the tree.

The second America! done in soft greens by Jon J Muth shows a forest glen.  His watercolor artwork focuses on two children tending to a newly sprouted tree.  One child is kneeling next to it as the other carries a watering can, a small turtle crawling away to the left.  A feeling of serenity permeates.

With shades of red overtone, Yuyi Morales renders her signature illustration in acrylics.  God shed His grace on thee is vividly visualized by a close-up of workers in a field of green taking a break in their labors, eating and drinking, small children with them.  As two hummingbirds flutter by, music drifts out from the portable radio in one of the worker's pockets.

Diane Goode's pen and ink drawings highlighting And crown thy good in pale teals, browns, a brighter green, red, white and blue intricately depict historic moments and accomplishments.  Towering over these is a young adult handing off a crown of laurel leaves to another four, hands linked.  All are balanced on stepping stones in water.

LeUyen Pham who in an interview stated she likes to keep people guessing about her medium, brush pens, watercolor, gouache, pencil or computer, has masterfully painted rows of children not only resembling the American flag but the shape of the United States.  Her illustration is on the front cover and interprets with brotherhood... .The playful pyramid nearly rings with laughter.

The final two pages, From sea to shining sea! drawn by John Hendrix are extraordinary.  On the left we see an old sea vessel floating above the clouds manned by children garbed in attire from various time periods.  As the clouds part on the right mountains turn in a landscape showcasing a geographical tableau replete with all manner of buildings and landmarks as his circular, starry, stylistic  fireworks are placed across the golden sky and page.  Every time I gaze at this illustration I see something new, something particular to our country.

When unfolding the jacket from the cover readers are treated to a vertical colorful portrait display of all forty-four presidents; a poster.  Rich, blue endpapers, front and back, display rows of white stars.  A turn of page lists each of the illustrators in alphabetical order alternating the color of their names in red and white on the same blue background.  After the simple title page the series of exquisite nearly two page illustrations begin, each interpreting a portion of the song.

Alternating first on the right side, then on the left, each pictorial representation leaves a small column in which a presidential quote appears.  Above each quote is a significant national landmark or symbol. At the close of the song these items are listed in the order they appeared with an explanation.  The final two pages include all four verses of the song, a small paragraph titled Our Democracy followed by a Thomas Jefferson quote and a small biographical paragraph about Katharine Lee Bates.


This is by far the longest review, assessment, of any book for which I have posted on this blog.  I wanted to focus on the artwork of each individual illustrator knowing how much time each invested in their depiction of their given words.  America the Beautiful Together We Stand is an absolutely gorgeous array of artwork; an exhibition of various mediums from masters in the field of children's book illustration.

I can see multiple uses for this title; a study of the poem becoming a beloved song, a study of various artistic styles and mediums or examining the representations for the words each illustrator chose.  I have embedded links to each illustrator's website or if they had none, the most recent discussion of their work.  This title comes highly recommended; it's stunning.