Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Everything
by Maira Kalman
Penguin, 2014. Unpaged. Biography

In this volume, the inimitable Maira Kalman does for Thomas Jefferson what she has done previously for Lincoln; namely, declared her love for one of the giants of our history, while acknowledging, as well, his considerable faults. Kalman loves that Jefferson loved everything. "What was he interested in? EVERYTHING. I mean it. EVERYThING." And he was. He despised idleness, he "could not live without books." He loved his garden, and his favorite vegetable was peas. He was also an inventive architect, designing his own home at Monticello to accommodate his life (his bed was situated between two rooms so he could leap either into action or scholarship, depending on his mood), and his belief in the value of light and fresh air. His beloved wife Martha died before he became president and he promised her on her deathbed that he would not remarry. With that context, Kalman tries with us to understand why a man who said, of slavery, "This abomination must end" owned 150 slaves and worked them hard. Kalman then mentions Sally Hemings and the probability that she bore Jefferson's children. Kalman tells the truth about Jefferson, succinctly and fairly, and her text is matched but not overwhelmed by her unmistakable and antic artwork. A real treasure for grownup and child to read together.

Comments

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

From Story Time: The Letter "W"

Preschool Time Something Wild By Molly Ruttan New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. Picture Book. Hannah's performance jitters about her violin recital lead to some imaginative what ifs before she finds her confidence. --Editor Preschool Time There's a Dodo on the Wedding Cake Written by Wade Bradford Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2021. Picture Book. For his return visit to the wacky Sharemore Hotel, Mr. Snore will be playing his violin at a fancy wedding. As he waits for his cue to join the ceremony, he admires the wedding cake . . . and notices that he's not alone in ogling that tower of frothy perfection. Is that a dodo, eating one of the frosting roses? As more and more creatures enter the scene--including two beavers, a boa constrictor, and a bunch of bats--it's hard to tell who's a guest and who's a pest. But Mr. Snore, rushing the cake trolley from room to room, is going to do his heroic best to save that prize from sure d

Five Faves: Women of Wonder Books

March is Women's History Month! I think a perfect way to celebrate all the women who have changed the world because of their dreams and ambitions is to read about the lives and accomplishments of these women of wonder. Their stories may inspire you to change the world in your own way. Here is a list of five women of wonder books that inspired me. Comet Chaser: The True Cinderella Story of Caroline Herschel, the First Professional woman Astronomer Written by Pamela S. Turner Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC. 2024. Informational. Once upon a time there was a girl who was expected to wait on and serve her family every day. One day an invitation came from her brother, not to a royal ball, but to a new country with a new life. Caroline saw her chance to leave her life of servitude and she took it. She went to England with her brother to help him with his household and to perform music with him. They worked together and began to chart the night

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog