Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina, Illustrated by Colin Bootman
Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Colin Bootman is very similar to the picture book Ron’s Big Mission which I reviewed last week. Both are about the desegregation of libraries in the south.
In Finding Lincoln, Louis needs to write an essay for school about Abraham Lincoln when he was a boy. His small library in the basement of his local church doesn’t have anything that would help. Everyday he passes the city library with its whites only sign and although his mother says that one day they’ll be able to use it, that day isn’t coming soon enough for Louis.
Louis decides that he needs to shake things up and the next day he climbs the wide steps and pushes open the door. And then he is immediately escorted out. A kind librarian though whispers for him to come back after five. Risking her job, she helps him find what he needs after hours and even writes out a temporary library card.
That night he learns all about Abe Lincoln and how as a child he didn’t care if he wasn’t like the other boys. He did what he thought was right, even if it shook people up. Louis already knew that when he visited the library next he would find a book about honeybees for his Daddy.
Although I wasn’t oohing and aahing over the watercolor illustrations, Colin Bootman does a fantastic job conveying the story.
A great book about how people, no matter their age, can shake things up and challenge that which they find to be wrong. And although the result may be small, it’s the little steps that will eventually make big things happen.
Finding Lincoln is part of my themed reading for the month of February which celebrates Black History Month. Join me this month as I explore books that celebrate the history of African-Americans.
Links of interest: Anna Malaspina website and on Twitter.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company. September 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0807524352
Source copy: review copy for Cybil’s consideration.
Finding Lincoln is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
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Tags: African American, Black History Month reads, civil rights movement, Cybils 2009 picture book nomination, female author, Fiction, published 2009, Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
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Oh, the power of books and libraries. Sounds like a great story.
on February 26th, 2010 at 6:14 amJust stopping by to say `Hi`
on February 27th, 2010 at 10:23 amHave a great weekend
Yeah for that librarian! I hope stuff like that really happened (this book is fiction right?) and still happens.
on February 27th, 2010 at 1:45 pmI love history, and my current favorite Lincoln book is Fred Kaplan’s Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer. Traces Lincoln’s developing thoughts on racism, among other issues, as he “thinks out loud” on paper.
on February 28th, 2010 at 10:58 am[...] Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina, Illustrated by Colin Bootman [...]
on July 1st, 2010 at 10:08 pm[...] Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina, Illustrated by Colin Bootman [...]
on January 6th, 2011 at 11:44 am