True Stories About Abraham Lincoln

Traces the political and personal life of the Civil War president

Grade 2-4-- A newly illustrated version of an older title (Scholastic, 1974), this slim volume of 21 one-page stories provides a glimpse of Lincoln's life and character. Beginning with his birth, each story describes an event or incident, while the opposite page contains a full-page painting. Some are anecdotes that exemplify Lincoln's wit and sense of humor, while others describe portions of his life. All are brief (some are less than a full page), and there is no attempt to link the episodes. However, because of the chronological arrangement and inclusion of descriptive passages, the book may serve as a short biography as well as a collection of stories. The writing is clear, easy to read, and free from fictionalization. Lincoln's presidency and the Civil War are given little coverage, as the book focuses on the happier early part of Lincoln's life. Kastner's watercolors are done in muted shades, with blue and brown predominating; they provide a dignified accompaniment to the text. The book is not wholly successful, however, as it tries to be both a biography and a collection of anecdotes. Russell Freedman's Lincoln: A Photobiography (Clarion, 1987) is a better source of both anecdotal and informative material for older students, but for younger children this is acceptable as an additional book about Lincoln. --Jean H. Zimmerman, Willett School, South River, NJ
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