Big George
How a Shy Boy Became President Washington
By Anne Rockwell; Matt Phelan (Illustrator)
(Harcourt Children's Books, Hardcover, 9780152165833, 48pp.)
Publication Date: January 2009
Categories: Biography & Autobiography - Historical, Biography & Autobiography - Political, History - United States/Colonial & Revolutionary
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A boy from Virginia becomes the first president
Before he was the face on the dollar bill, George Washington was a shy boy with a hot temper. But George had character and adaptability. He taught himself courage and self-control. At an early age, and without really realizing it, George Washington gathered the qualities he’d need to become one of the greatest leaders America has ever known.
Anne Rockwell’s prose is dignified, Matt Phelan’s illustrations are striking, and the details they reveal about George Washington’s early days are fascinating, sometimes tragic, and always moving.
Includes an author’s note.
ANNE ROCKWELL is the author of hundreds of books for children, including the distinguished picture book biography Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth, an ALA Notable Children's Book. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.www.AnneRockwell.comMATT PHELAN is an illustrator of both children's picture books and chapter books, such as The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, which won the John Newbery Medal. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.www.mattphelan.com
"The thin, swirling lines of Phelan’s soft pencil-and-gouache illustrations enhance the stirring narrative, often depicting people against their natural environment; his powerful use of shadow and light emphasizes Washington’s struggles and victories. Overall, a dynamic examination of one of America’s first leaders."—Kirkus Reviews
"Perhaps as balance to the bicentennial emphasis on Abraham Lincoln comes this welcome new picture book biography of George Washington . . . This is an ideal introduction to the man for younger readers and listeners: nicely paced, admiring but not adulatory, and clear about his importance in history."—Horn Book
"Rockwell gives us a whole man, from shy boy to country gentleman, reluctant battlefield hero to legendary leader, and Phelan’s bold, dynamic paintings capture the nuances. In an afterword, the author considers the "stain on the new nation’s flag," approaching Washington’s treatment of his slaves with candor and honesty. A fine biography that respects its audience as much as its subject."—Booklist "Rockwell's smooth storytelling and knack for economically rendered military episodes should connect well with elementary-grade children . . . Phelan's rough line and gouache pictures . . . are sophisticated enough to draw and retain the attention of independent readers."--Bulletin
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