Celebrate America

Joy Fleishhacker, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 9/3/2008

Related TeachingBooks.net resources »»»

Laurie Keller reads from The Scrambled States of America

As election time approaches, take the opportunity to build a foundation of knowledge about the states, tour the country’s natural and man-made marvels with your students, and discover the distinctive attributes of each region. These titles employ a variety of techniques—humor, creative storytelling, poetry, and a breathtaking assortment of illustrative styles—to touch upon the attributes that make America unique. Use them to supplement history, geography, sociology, art, and literature units.

A Spectacular of States
These zany books combine information about the 50 states with lots of imaginative fun. In Hudson Talbott’s United Tweets of America (Putnam, 2008), a bald eagle welcomes readers to a pageant in which state birds—from Alabama’s Yellowhammer (northern flicker) to Wyoming’s Western Meadowlark—strut their stuff and showcase amazing facts about their homes. This laugh-out-loud lark is peppered with puns, tongue-in-beak comments, and amusing cartoons (Gr 2-5).

Laurie Keller follows up her superb Scrambled States of America (1998) with another madcap, off-the-map adventure, as all 50 states, each personified by a geographically correct cartoon figure, star in The Scrambled States of America Talent Show (2008, both Holt). One wacky act follows another as Iowa tells corny jokes, Wisconsin presents cheesy sculptures, and Georgia juggles with a case of stage fright that results in an unexpected but fantastic finale. Pop-off-the-page artwork, wisecracks galore, and unabashed enthusiasm add up to a star-spangled performance (Gr 1-4).

In Dan Yaccarino’s Go, Go America (Scholastic, 2008), a family takes off on a road trip, crisscrossing the nation to visit each state and highlight far-out facts, interesting inventions, infamous individuals, and ridiculous regulations. The slick, retro artwork amusingly depicts their travels, keeping the mood light and the book easy to browse (Gr 1-5). Sheila Keenan brings Greetings from the 50 States (both Scholastic, 2008) and provides the scoop about each locale’s official name and monikers. The chatty text is enhanced by Selina Alko’s colorfully decorated maps (Gr 2-5).

Cross-Country Adventures
Jam-packed with patriotic images and cultural icons, Michael Garland’s Americana Adventure (Dutton, 2008) takes readers on an interactive treasure hunt as Tommy follows notes from his Aunt Jeanne directing him to well-known destinations across the nation, including Boston Harbor, the White House, and Mount Rushmore. Along the way, students can search the colorful illustrations to seek out celebrated Americans, read famous quotations, eyeball bald eagles, and count Uncle Sam hats (Gr 1-6).

In another razzamatazz picture book (K-Gr 3), Izzy pursues her smiling little sister as she runs away from home and across a map of the United States, initiating an exhilarating journey that takes the girls from coast to coast to visit a whirlwind of spectacular sites. With firecracker artwork and an apt sense of awe, Robert Neubecker highlights an amazing array of wonders that will have readers exclaiming, Wow! America! (Hyperion, 2006).

Share a Song
Kathy Jakobsen’s beautifully illustrated interpretation of Woody Guthrie’s classic, This Land is Your Land (Little, Brown, 2008, 10th anniversary ed.), provides a glorious introduction to both the singer and the country he loved so dearly. Colorful oil paintings bring the verses to life, depicting the breathtaking beauties and sometimes grim realities of early 20th-century America through lush panoramas and detailed close-up scenes. Use this book as a sing-along accompaniment or as a glimpse into history (K-Gr 4).

You’re a Grand Old Flag (S & S, 2008) pairs the lyrics of George M. Cohan’s 1906 song of celebration with Norman Rockwell’s iconographic early-20th-century paintings. This eye-catching ode to Old Glory brims with images of Americana and patriotic symbolism (K-Gr 4).

America the Beautiful: Through Art and Verse
Bob Raczka’s The Art of Freedom (Millbrook, 2008) presents a vivid and multifaceted answer to the question, “What is America?” Eighteen simple statements are each paired with and elucidated by a stunning reproduction of a work by an American artist. Including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and even a stained-glass piece, these images shed light on the many elements and ideas that make up a diverse nation (Gr 1-5).

Tour America: A Journey through Poems and Art (Chronicle, 2006) offers a verbal and visual ode to magnificent locales throughout the United States. In addition to revisiting much-traveled territory, the book presents some startlingly fresh perspectives, describing the architectural “Gargoyles” of New York City, Nevada’s “Bristlecone Pines,” and “Cadillac Ranch” in Texas. Written in an eclectic range of styles, Diane Siebert’s stirring poems are equaled in artistic merit by Stephen T. Johnson’s evocative illustrations and supplemented with factual information (Gr 3 Up).

Lee Bennett Hopkins’s My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States (S & S, 2000) presents 50 selections that highlight the history, natural beauty, cultures, and spirit of a “forever changing land.” Arranged by geographic region, the book includes the works of poets such as Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, and Nikki Giovanni, and is handsomely illustrated by Stephen Alcorn (Gr 3-8).