Dolley Madison Saves George Washington - Softcover

Brown, Don

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0544582446 ISBN 13: 9780544582446

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2015

Synopsis

Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. She wore beautiful dresses, decorated her home, and threw lavish parties. Everyone talked about Dolley, and everyone loved her, too. Then war arrived at her doorstep, and Dolley had to meet challenges greater than she’d ever known. So Dolley did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. Don Brown once again deftly tells a little known story about a woman who made a significant contribution to American history.

About this title

About the Author

Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.

www.booksbybrown.com

Instagram: @donsart

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4—Known for her "beauty, her stunning gowns, and her delightful banquets," Dolley Madison first served as the premier Washington, DC, hostess while her husband, James Madison, was secretary of state under Thomas Jefferson because the president was a widower. She continued to throw "wonderful dinner parties" during her husband's subsequent eight-year presidency. While First Lady, she redecorated the President's Mansion, ensuring that Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington was prominently displayed. However, it was during the War of 1812 that she earned the gratitude of her nation when, despite the fact that the 100 soldiers assigned to protect the mansion ran off, she bravely remained behind to make sure that the painting as well as important government documents were saved from otherwise certain destruction by British forces. Pen and ink and watercolors effectively depict the simplicity and roughness of Colonial life and convey with humor the spirit of the time and characters; however, the facial features are for the most part bland. An author's note provides additional information about Stuart and Dolley Madison. Readers will enjoy this exciting picture-book biography of an important First Lady.—Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0544582446
• ISBN 13: 9780544582446
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32