TITLE: ABE LINCOLN: The boy who loved books
AUTHOR: Kay Winters
ILLUSTRATOR: Nancy Carpenter
Publisher: Aladdin
Year: 2006 (First edition 2003)
Word Count: 1049
Category: Nonfiction
Summary: This book highlights the life of Abe Lincoln.
This challenge is 14:14 PB Challenge by Christie Wild.
ABE LINCOLN: The boy who loved books is a 1049-words book with presidential hook. In honor of President’s Day, I chose to analyze this book. I will focus on ELEMENT #10 ~ BEGINNING AND ENDING.
The book began:
In the wilds of Kentucky, 1809
a boy was born.
His mother called him Abraham,
his last name Lincoln.
His bed was made from corn husks,
his covers, skins from bears.
His cabin built with logs
from towering trees.
This is the first page. I typed it as written. I like the introduction. The birth to show us that this book covers a span of years.
The rest of the books delves into his parents, his schooling, and his determination to learn how to read. It tapped into his emotional side – the book he borrowed from a neighbor and how upset he was when the rain destroyed it, his studying to be a lawyer and helping a friend, and his motivation for president.
The book ends with these words on the last page:
Abraham Lincoln –
born in a log cabin,
child of the frontier,
head in a book –
elected our sixteenth president!
From the wilderness
to the White House.
He learned the power of words
and used them well.
I loved this book. As you all know by know, I am branching out into writing nonfiction picture books. So analyzing these books give me insight into pulling these books together.
The simplicity of the sentences spark any reluctant reader to pick up a book.
My favorite part of the book, is the attack of the forest animals. The descriptive prose reminded me of a poetic feel.
“Bears growled,
Wolves howled,
panthers screamed.
Abe shivered.
Dark was a fearsome time.”
I loved this book. I recommend it to everyone. And it is in perfect time for President’s Day!
Why I Write Picture Books? (#YIWritePB) 
I’m glad you are analyzing nonfiction picture books. I have trouble finding nonfiction picture books that pique my interest, so you are really helping me out. Nice post!
I have a list of them. You should join WOW on facebook. It is a list of nonfiction picture book writers. They are always posting great ones. The days of textbook-type-nonfiction books are gone. The new ways of writing them are fun, quirky, and entertaining. You should check out the rhyming ones by Verla Kay. Splendid!
Thanks for the tips, Jackie! I think that’s a great idea, especially since I am attempting to write my first nonfiction picture book right now and could use all the help I can get.
We are finishing up a WOW mini retreat this weekend. It is preparing us for the WOW in July. There is a retreat in the mountains of GA for 7 days all inclusive – food, shelter, workshops, conferences, and the camaraderie. It is 800.00 dollars. There will be agents, writers, publishers, their to recruit writers and manuscript. You should consider joining WOW and take advantage of the webinars and resources.
Jackie, great review. It is unusual that several of us chose beginnings and endings as our theme to analyze todayl Interesting. I am focusing on non-fiction too this year, and have joined the WOW facebook group, and would love to do the retreat. Just can’t do it this year, as I have some other choice events to pursue. I haven’t done the mini-WOW but that sounds great too. And the webinars are fantastic.
I am loving this nonfiction books. I am working on two as we speak and will delve into my manuscripts some more this week. I will check your review out. And I love belonging to WOW. Such an awesome group of writers. Truly amazing 😀
As an Australian I find it fascinating how much importance is focused on American Presidents and I recall reading a large number of books about America when I was a child. At one stage I could name all your states and capital cities but didn’t know our own as well as I knew yours. Oddly my childhood heroes included Dan’l Boone, Pocahontas and Johnny Appleseed , can you believe that?
I quite enjoyed the flow of the language in the opening more so than the ending and can hear the ring of patriotism in the words. The illustrations look fun. Thanks for this. 🙂
As a naturalized American citizen, I understand and know where you’re coming from. To other countries, America has been portrayed as a “force to be reckon with”. A picture paints a thousand words, and Americans painted millions of picture depicting its beauty and camouflaging its shame. I, too, learned a lot about America and did not learn enough about my homeland. The patriotism depicted by the presidents lined the bookshelves with their greatness and seldom exhibit their shame and candor. As much as I also cheer for these Americans, I cry inside for the demoralizing treatment inflicted on its residents that do not have blond hair/blue eyes, curly hair/green eyes, or long hair/ and any other color eyes. There are presidents I admire; and there are some I look at with shame. However, as a naturalized American, I learned to forgive and move on. But I will always raised my hats to Lincoln, Kennedy, Clinton, and Obama. Some people like to keep things hidden in the “bushes”. And to those people, I say, “Bushes camouflage Shame.”
Sounds like a great time! Too bad I am up here in NY.