Our White House:
Looking In Looking Out!
Critics, Parents, Teachers, Librarians embrace Our White House! Read below to find out what people across the country are saying about the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance's Our White House! You can find Our White House at your local library or bookstore, and then write us and tell us what you think about it!
School Library Journal: *Starred Review*-"The pairing of words and art is often inspired, as in Maybelle Mayer’s paper doll cutouts from 1938 that accompany Nancy Willard’s poem about White House dresses. There are powerful visual moments as well, such as the dazzling series of spreads featuring visual interpretations of Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms," each by a different artist. . .
Some readers will progress straight through from Jane Yolen’s imagined conversation between John and Abigail Adams to the first National Book Festival in 2001, while others may browse and jump about; either way, this entertaining introduction to the White House is full of fascinating information, challenging ideas, and appealing artwork. "
Read more at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6591908.html
Publisher's Weekly: *Starred Review*-
"Among the most provocative entries are works by artists who “look in” on the White House with a demonstrably personal vision: David Small shares color sketches of “backstairs at the White House,” a study in contrasts; Bob Kolar arranges the presidents as if on a board game, with clever annotations (who knew President Arthur held a yard sale while in office?); Peter Sís supplies 37 characteristically enigmatic portraits to illustrate freedom to worship. . . . the volume makes the invaluable point that history does not have to be remote or abstract, but a personal and ongoing engagement."
Read more at: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6593070.html?industryid=47139 http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6587034.html?nid=2788
Scripps Howard News Service-"a stunning gathering of children's-book stars..."
Let's just say it flat-out: "Our White House" is a stunning gathering of children's-book stars, all with a single goal of illuminating a national treasure for young readers...."Our White House," a coffee-table-size book with unusual intellectual and artistic heft. With each piece of text just three pages or less in length, it's perfect for reading aloud or just dipping into as time permits.
Read more at:
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=CORNER-BOOKS-10-01-08
Notes from The Horn Book Magazine-"sumptuous new anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out"
Of far more durable interest, and with something for adults and children alike, is the sumptuous new anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, compiled by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. More than one hundred essays, poems, short stories, and paintings explore the White House and its inhabitants, history, and significance. . . .A fascinating, eminently browsable, and accessible entrance into the People’s House. "
Read more at: http://www.hbook.com/newsletter/index.html
ForeWord Magazine: . ."impressive compilation of text and images by 108 authors and illustrators."
"What makes this compilation a stunning achievement are the host of illustrations, ranging from realistic to dramatic and satirical, by Brian Selznick, David Small, Roxie Munro, and other award-winning illustrators. Our White House is not meant for one sitting; instead, entries should be savored one at a time. While written for older children and teens, they should be shared with parents and educators, who can add their own personal stories to the experience."
Read more at: http://www.forewordmagazine.com/reviews/viewreviews.aspx?reviewid=4349&rssref=20080930
Children's Book Page- "a spectacular anthology"
"Eight years in the making, as a special project of the National Children's Book and Literary Alliance, the arrival of Our White House is truly a major event in children's publishing. The book is a treasury of essays, personal reflections, letters, poems, speeches and comics, demonstrating that the most celebrated house in America is simply bursting with stories."
Read more at: http://www.bookpage.com/0809bp/children/our_white_house.html
Kirkus Reviews- "even brief dips into this will leave readers with the clear sense that we do have a national history, and it's worth knowing too."
"In this sumptuous pro bono volume, 108 children's authors and illustrators (with the occasional celebrity, president or other official chiming in) contribute original art, personal reminiscences, short stories, poems and historical vignettes about the White House and its residents."Richie's Picks- "This is a collection of uber talent."
"OUR WHITE HOUSE is a rollicking literary and visual excursion through the
history and mythology, the hijinks and tragedies, and the family moments that
have accrued over the course of two centuries of presidential life at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue."
Read more at:
http://lists.sjsu.edu/pipermail/calibk12/2008-June/004591.html
Gr 3-8–More than 100 authors and illustrators contributed to this wide-ranging collection of short pieces about the First Family residence. Most participants are creators of books for youth, along with a sprinkling of other figures, such as historian David McCullough, and actual White House occupants. Arranged in general chronological order, the chapters are delightfully varied in form, tone, and subject matter. They include straightforward history, brief essays, personal narratives, and even fantasy, as in Meg Cabot’s lighthearted time-travel story. The handsome layout and excellent-quality illustrations provide strong appeal. The pairing of words and art is often inspired, as in Maybelle Mayer’s paper doll cutouts from 1938 that accompany Nancy Willard’s poem about White House dresses. There are powerful visual moments as well, such as the dazzling series of spreads featuring visual interpretations of Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms," each by a different artist. Many segments convey personal details that humanize the presidential families, such as Virginia Euwer Wolff’s introduction to the musical sophistication of the Tafts and Anita Silvey’s look at Jackie Kennedy’s literary career. Humor plays a role too, as in Steven Kellogg’s artistic rendering of an imagined "Best in Show" contest among White House pets. Some readers will progress straight through from Jane Yolen’s imagined conversation between John and Abigail Adams to the first National Book Festival in 2001, while others may browse and jump about; either way, this entertaining introduction to the White House is full of fascinating information, challenging ideas, and appealing artwork.
