Red, White, Blue and Uncle Who?: The Stories Behind Some of America's Patriotic Symbols - Hardcover

Teresa Bateman is a school librarian, a storyteller and the author of many lively stories and poems for children. She has won both the Storytelling World Award and the Anne Izard Storyteller's Award. Her books include Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? and Keeper of Soles, an ALA Notable Children's Book. She lives in Tacoma, Washington.

John O'Brien is a cartoonist whose work appears in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. He is the creator of many children's picture books and the illustrator of many more, including Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? by Teresa Bateman. He lives in New Jersey.

Gr 4-7-This information-packed potpourri of trivia and important facts does indeed give the stories behind 17 American patriotic symbols as diverse as Uncle Sam, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Great Seal. The lively text moves along so merrily that readers will be surprised to discover how much material is included. Each topic is given two to four pages including one or more sophisticated, witty, black-and-white line drawings. For the most part, the information is clear and complete. The coverage of the Korean War Memorial is especially welcome as there is not much in print on it. However, explaining the Vietnam War and the Korean conflict in a few sentences proves somewhat difficult. The text throughout the book is easy to read with uncomplicated sentences and short paragraphs and plenty of white space. This appealing book will be welcomed by report writers and browsers and will be a great addition to units on American history.

Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL

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