By Lane Smith
Roaring Brook Press, 2012. Unpaged picture book.
In the present day, a young school group is touring the White House in celebration of President's Day. A little girl named Quincy wanders from the group and encounters the ghost of President Abraham Lincoln. They exchange silly jokes and talk about their dreams. Quincy leads Lincoln on a floating, flying tour around the States and tells him about all that has changed since 1865:
"And equality for all?" he asked.
"That's working out too," she said. "It's getting better all the time."
"And Man?" he asked. "Does he no longer fuss 'n' fight with his fellow man?"
"We're still working on that one."
Lane Smith's new picture book is eloquently written, and features his trademark illustrations. The vintage type and old language create a feeling for the past. This is a very unique and enjoyable historical picture book. Smith based it upon a dream that President Lincoln had the night before his assassination. The afterword offers more information about Lincoln and some of the presidential pets featured in the book.
1 comment:
As a huge, longtime fan of Lane Smith, I was happy to see another of his unique picture books published! This book was beautifully designed with gorgeous typography. I had such a warm feeling at the end when Lincoln was pictured sailing toward a sunny, happy destination. The little tidbit about Lincoln's reoccurring dream was new to me and very intriguing. I enjoyed this book very much, and although it wasn't my top favorite of Smith's, it was still excellent!
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