Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President

Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President

Written by: Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
Illustrated by: Stacy Innerst

"Laughter is not only good medicine. It can also be a political tool, human motivator, and saving grace, as the authors show in this upbeat overview of Lincoln’s life. Moving through the sixteenth president’s many challenges, from family deaths to lost elections to fighting slavery, the text emphasizes how Lincoln coped with a joke on his tongue and a smile on his lips. Many direct quotes are interwoven in a contrasting font within the spreads that delve into subjects such as his military service, when he faced “a good many bloody battles—with mosquitoes,” and marriage: “Here I am, and here is Mrs. Lincoln. And that’s the long and short of it.” Innerst’s acrylic artwork feels homey and humorous, very much in the style of his previous work with Krull, M is for Music (2003), and while not every word or picture is necessarily a hoot and a holler, they do present a positive portrait that humanizes the lionized man for whom it was “a love of laughter that kept him going.”

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/for-kids/default.aspx
http://www.berwickacademy.org/lincoln/lincoln.htm

Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington 1837-1863

Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington 1837-1863

Written and Illustrated by: Cheryl Harness

"Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington paints a vivid picture of the Springfield, IL years, when Abe met and married a pretty Kentucky woman, and made his name as a lawyer and politician. Cheryl Harness gives readers a moving account of Lincoln’s rise and the tensions that dragged the nation into conflict; brilliantly detailed maps and battle scenes deepen our understanding of the Civil War; and the book’s richly imagined illustrations recreate the life of the man who will always be regarded as one of our greatest presidents."

Scholastic Review

Online Resources:
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/index.html

True Stories about Abraham Lincoln

True Stories about Abraham Lincoln

Written by: Ruth Belov Gross
Illustrated by: Charles Turzak

"This book includes a series of short stories that emphasize aspects of Lincoln’s life, especially his early years."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://lincoln.georgetowncollege.edu/fifth/lesson1.htm
http://lincoln.georgetowncollege.edu/fifth/lesson2.htm

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship

Written by: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier

"Our 16th president is known for many things: He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address.He was tall and skinny and notoriously stern-looking. And he also had some very strong ideas about abolishing slavery, ideas which brought him into close contact with another very visible public figure: Frederick Douglass. Douglass was born a slave but escaped in 1838 and became one of the central figures in the American abolitionist movement.

This book offers a glimpse into the unusual friendship between two great American leaders. At a time when racial tensions were high and racial equality was not yet established, Lincoln and Douglass formed a strong bond over shared ideals and worked alongside each other for a common goal."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:

http://teachingwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/lincoln-and-douglass-american.html

A. Lincoln and Me

A. Lincoln and Me

Written by: Louise Bordon
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin

"With the help of his teacher, a young boy realizes that he not only shares his birthday and similar physical appearance with Abraham Lincoln, but that he is like him in other ways as well."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.uen.org/general_learner/lincoln/index.shtml

A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln

A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln

Written by: David A Adler
Illustrated by: John Wallner and Alexandra Wallner

"This book follows the life of the popular president, from his childhood on the frontier to his assassination after the end of the Civil War."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/abrahamlincoln.htm