I Pledge Allegiance

by Bill Martin Jr., Chris Raschka (Illustrator), Michael Sampson

"Finally, here's a picture book that helps young children move beyond rote recitation of the Pledge to find meaning in its language. This is the book parents and teachers have been waiting for." —  Booklist (starred review)

"I led a pigeon to the flag" . . . "and to the wee puppet" . . . "one nation, and a vegetable" . . . What was that again? Children in the United States have been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance since 1892 — and for about that long, they've found its big words confusing. Beloved children's book author Bill Martin Jr., fellow literacy expert Michael Sampson, and Caldecott Honor-­winning artist Chris Raschka give America's children a hand and explain this patriotic poem once and for all. This paperback edition offers notes and suggested activities to help parents and teachers make this book even more interesting to and fun for children.

Genres: Picture Books, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American, Read For School, Politics

40 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See ; Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear ; Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See ; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom , are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing, developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children's books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billma...

Reviews

[Lita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches young children the Pledge of Allegiance. Each page has a word from the Pledge of Allegiance and a short definition or explanation of each word in the Pledge. This book includes the meaning of the colors of the flag and explains the symbolism of the stars and stripes. This is an excellent book to use to help students understand the meaning of our Pledge and why it is important.

[Kayla]

Great book to teach kids how to be patriotic and it's good for all cultures. In a dramatic play area the kids could make flags from the country they are from and have a parade

[Andrew Schoenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

When was the last time you read a book with the main text being shorter than the illustrations and comments it correlates with? This book was a first for me in that sense with so much describing and tiny captions describing what each phrase of the pledge of allegiance truly means. The characters were simple stick figures but the use of variety in color made the images seem fun and enjoyable. The first and last pages of the book are the flag of the United States which looks to have been painted by a child who would be reading this book. The author is using these images to connect with his audience and draw them to his book.

[Mikeal Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very unique as it's reads aloud the pledge of allegiance but each page is filled with important facts and illustrates why we do the pledge of allegiance. Each page has a word from the pledge of allegiance with a short definition/explanation of each word. From the stars on the flag to the stripes on the flag, it teaches why the flag looks the way it does. The illustrations in this book are amazing as they help showcase the importance of each word in the page.

I would recommend this book for grades K-3rd. This book does a great job of showing and teaching the importance and history our country has. I chose this book because it's a great way to introduce students to the importance of how the pledge of allegiance came about and why it came about. A lot of young students often wounder why we do the pledge of allegiance and this book would serve a great history tool to show students how far our country has come and why things are the way they are.

[Bri Lunde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pledge allegiance is a non-fiction story with fun illustrations that explains to kids what "pledge of allegiance" means through careful explanation of each section. For example, the book starts out with a word on each page and when the phrase comes to "the flag" the reader is given a detailed description of what the flag stands for. Whether the reader decides to read the more detailed captions or not, this book does an excellent job of diving deeper into what pledging allegiance means and the history behind why we celebrate it.

I chose this book because it could easily be incorporated from kindergarten through fifth grade about the history of America. What I love most about this book is it does a good job connecting the importance of pledging allegiance to all students, races, and cultures.

[Nancy Roach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the pledge of allegiance, throughout it goes into detail about each part. The author makes the big words make more sense as to why we say them. The book is eye catching and has very abstract art through out that would draw kids in to wanting to learn more about the pledge. One of the pages talks about where we get our flag colors, another demonstrates things to do while saying the pledge, and explains what the words mean underneath them. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was unique way of writing about the pledge of allegiance. I would definitely use this in my classroom because it shows kids why we say the pledge. I think this could really go any in classroom because it is something all need to know about.

[Morgan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes through he pledge of allegiance as well as well as additional information. The illustrations are abstract and allow for the reader to use their imagination. Each page has a word or a couple words of the pledge in black bold print with other information in smaller print. The added information does not follow a plot but it does follow along with with pledge.

I gave this book 4 stars because it would be a great memorization tool. The book has many different illustrations that are abstract and would require imagination. It does encourage the reader to think about how everyone is different. The end of the book gives some actional information that would be good for follow up questions.

[Jackie Sisley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Pledge Allegiance is a book that features the words of Pledge of Allegiance with many pictures, drawings, and explanations as it goes. It can be hard for children, especially young children, to understand the pledge and why we say it. Often times, children have only memorized the words with no true understanding of its meaning as a whole and even just some of the individual words. Allegiance, for instance, is not a word every first grader knows. This book's engaging, cartoonish illustrations and explanations of words and conceptual meaning help children to understand the words they are saying and what it means to say them, which is very powerful.

[Ashley Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book divides the Pledge of Allegiance page by page and describes the word's meanings. Bill Martin. Jr (author of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) and Michael Sampson make this an easy to read book for children who recite the Pledge every day. They do not even know what words they are saying and the meaning of them, so the authors help to clarify with this book.

It is a cleverly designed book. It is super adorable in the way that it was written, and the authors are very child-oriented. They wanted children to understand the meaning behind history, and this book does just that! Five stars.

[McKenna Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin Jr. is an informational social studies based story about the Pledge of Allegiance. This book tells the Pledge of Allegiance along with explaining what the words mean. Defining words and explaining all about our country and its government.

I gave this book 4 stars because it is a good lesson teaching book. This book teaches all about what the pledge of allegiance means and what our government is like. Kids reading this will have a good understanding of what this means that they say every day. All about our country that we live in. I would read this book to my class as a social studies lesson.

[Travelmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

An explanation of each word of the Pledge and thoughts on what is actually said and meant. The drawings appear to be mostly white people, and discussion about people being able to make their own choices about their lives is up for debate. It's a starting point for conversations with multiple age groups.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Quest #17
The pledge of allegiance is one of those weirdo things Americans do especially in schools where apparently you stand to recite it.
This book is good in that is explains what each part means, it doesn't take away from the fact that it is a weird thing to do.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great picture book that explains the meaning of the words in the pledge.

[Christina Karvounis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book to use when teaching children about the pledge.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book explaining what those big words in the Pledge of Allegiance mean! Only complaint was the odd illustrations were quite distracting to the kids!

[Wyatt Khuon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that fun to read over all. Its educational but do not read it alot.

[Launna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to review with the kids. The discussion on what each part means is helpful.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

25 August 2025

[Julie Ditton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of Chicka boom, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See

[Danyelle DeAugustine]

This book was very informative to children curious about the Pledge of Allegiance. Authors Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson take the readers through a historical journey regarding the famous flag of the United States of America. Readers learn useful and silly things such as why the flag is not pink.
This text is very useful and would be great for elementary students. However the design is a little distracting. Every page has a line from the pledge of allegiance. Following this is information about it. However it might be confusing for children to read. At the end of the book there is a whole page with the pledge of allegiance stated, which is super helpful. I actually learned things about the pledge of allegiance that I did not know, such as it was published in a magazine for children. The background and historical information allow readers to become knowledgeable on the topic of their country and their rights.

[Krista Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the pledge of allegiance and the different parts of it. At first glance, this book simply states the pledge so kids can learn it, but looking closer it is something more. Each page breaks down a part of the pledge and explains what it means since there are some hard words in the pledge. For example, on the flag page, the explain nation is explaining that "a flag is a symbol that stands for a place, a think or an idea." Another page in the book talks about a republic, which is "we the people elect leaders who make our laws." I like how it breaks down each part into simpler section so it is easier for kids to understand. This book would be appropriate for Kindergarten because this is the age where they are learning about this. They wouldn't be able to read this by themselves, but this could be a read aloud or even a lesson on the flag.

[Alma Loredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, all students are expected to recite the pledge of allegiance in school. Personally, I remember having to say it but never really paid attention to what it actually means. I think this book is a great book to have and show the studnets the importance of reciting the pledge rather than just making them say it. I believe that when we know the importance of something we are more willing to do it. This is a great book to inform our students of the significance of the pledge and at the same time a tool to build community within the classroom. An activity that I would do with my students before reading the book, is having each student explain what the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance is and then reflect on their understanding of it after reading the book.

[Julie Graham 47150 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my first grade classroom, my students learn about the places they live (solar system, planet, country, state, city, and home). When they learn about our country they find it has many symbols - the flag, the Bald Eagle, the National Anthem, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell. When learning about the flag, I read them this book and we discuss what the words to the pledge mean. Even some of Martin's words are a little tough for first graders so our discussion, and using some analogies (i.e. family) along the way, helps.

[Caroline Petty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is a great book to teach children the history of the pledge of allegiance along with it's importance. Too often in schools today, we see children that simply don't care about saying the pledge. As a proud American, this upsets me. This book would be good to not only let children know about what the pledge is, but also what it's words mean and how we should feel as we say these sacred words.

[Amanda Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would really like to use this book to have my students examine the meaning of the pledge of allegiance. This would be particularly effective in 3rd grade, when studying government or 4th grade while studying about the creating of America. The books takes you through each line of the pledge and talks about what it mean. It is something students say everyday, and understanding its meaning would make it much more meaningful to them.

[Victoria Binkerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book for a social studies lesson about the pledge of allegiance in order to help my 1st grade students understand the vocabulary better. It is easy to go through the rote process of placing one's hand over their heart and not knowing what he/she is actually saying, but Bill Martin did a great job breaking up the vocabulary into simpler terms. Chris Raschka did a top notch job on the illustrations, as always.

[Monique Mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be great for when your giving lessons about government and what the pledge means, which is good since students do have to cite it everyday. I would have students come up with reasons as to why they think we say the pledge and what it means. Students will look up definitions for words that are complicated. I would then read this book to clarify for us.

[Datoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I) The is a nice informative picture book. I would use it for k-3rd. I think that this book is just right for that age group. This book tells the importance of and the meaning of the pledge of allegiance. This book would be great to integrate social studies with writing. I think that the pledge of allegiance would be a great topic to write on.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a kid-friendly book about the Pledge of Allegiance. I feel like so many students repeat it but have NO idea what it even means. I learned a lot from this book and my students could learn a lot from it as well. I think I would teach this with the New Nation social studies unit in 4th grade. It could be used in any grade, though, really.

[Audrey Harlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be great to use when talking about the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people say it everyday but fail to know what it really means. This book really breaks it down and explains the history of the words. I would use this book when talking about government, patriotism, or discussing the new nation. This book is for all ages. I loved it.