George Washington in pictures....

Sometimes you can tell a book by its cover.  Such is the case with author David A. Adler’s A Picture Book of George Washington which is a picture book about America’s First President.  This story of George’s life begins with his birth in 1732 and ends with his death in 1799. The first few pages detailing his childhood are sure to capture the interest of Adler’s intended audience. Certainly, young children love learning about the lives of other young children. This book also accounts for his years as a surveyor and a soldier in the French-Indian war. His marriage to Martha Custis and their move to Mount Vernon are also included. Among many interesting details, Adler tells readers that Mount Vernon once belonged to George Washington’s brother. George Washington’s role as the leader of the continental army that won the American Revolution is also depicted. The book also weaves in information about America’s first years under President George Washington’s two terms as the First President of the United States.

 Adler softly touches on the hardships of war while sparing young children the graphics. Illustrators John and Alexandra Wallner create the colonial world in which George Washington lived through the use of carton-like illustrations. The cartoon-like illustrations seem to expand the text by creating a child’s view of the written story, but at times they lack the sense of the reality in which George Washington lived. As discussed above, Adler’s text is packed full of facts about Washington’s life. While the sentence structure is sometimes complex, Adler’s word choices make the text an easy independent read for an older elementary school student. The simple language also lends itself to an entertaining read-aloud for young students. Adler’s picture book offers an excellent introduction to the young life George Washington for young readers. Those interested in introducing young children to biography will be delighted to know that A Picture Book of George Washington is just one of several books in David A. Adler’s Picture Book Biographies series.