Abraham Lincoln

by Amy L. Cohn, Suzy Schmidt, David A. Johnson

With a down-home, folksy flavor, Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt have written an unusual biography of Abe Lincoln that is sure to become a perennial classic.

In their first collaboration as storytellers since FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA, Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt tell Lincoln's story from his birth to his untimely death. Begining with his humble start in a log cabin in Kentucky, the authors take us through his young life working on the family farm, learning to read and write on his own with only the crudest schooling, his early love of knowledge, and the sad times when he lost his mother. They delve into his adult life as a lawyer, a father, a husband, a politician, a military leader and a president - all the while exploring the many facets of his character - his kindness, his wisdom, his compassion, and his wonderful, quirky humor. Readers will relish this flavor-rich biography that portrays a favorite American hero with rare sensitivity.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Literature, School

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly moving introduction to Abraham Lincoln's life. The short text still communicates Lincoln's humor, work ethic, and beliefs.

[Katie Easter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Biographical Nonfiction
Grade Level: K-3rd grade

This biography of Abraham Lincoln gives the perfect amount of information to the reader throughout Lincoln's life. It starts when he is a baby, and young child living in Kentucky, and moves throughout his older years moving to Illinois and finally to becoming the 16th president. It covers his time writing the Emancipation Proclamation and then into his last few years of life. I like this book because it doesn't overwhelm the reader with factual evidence, it gives just enough to inform us about Lincoln's most important moments. I also love that at the back of the book there is a timeline of his life-- from birth to death.

[Jayma DeLancey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography
2nd-5th Grade
This is a very unique book! The build of the book is more of a tall rectangle than the usual square shape of a book. This plays along with Lincolns character as he is depicted as very long, taking up most of the tall page. I love how the author depicts Abraham Lincoln and the different things he says. I would love for my future students to read this.

[Kama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biographical Nonfiction
Grade level 2-3

This book shows the story of Abraham Lincoln from his early childhood up until after his death. One thing I particularly liked about this book was how it showed Abraham Lincoln's height throughout the book. I thought the pictures were detailed and overall it was fun to learn more about Abe.

[Little Seesaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good little biography of an amazing president. I think it has a lot of interesting information for young readers.

[Erin G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction biographical book about the life of Abraham Lincoln would be good to read to all elementary ages. It’s a simple book, yet it still touches on his whole life. It would be a great addition to any lesson on presidents or a Presidents’ Day lesson/activity.

[Seok Hyeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I traveled Washington D.C., I visited Lincoln memorial. There was a huge statue of the Lincoln, I felt a sense of awe from it. I want to learn more about him, so I chose the book. The book contains the context from Abraham Lincoln's birth to death, so I could learn his life from the book.

[Joelle Karlitz]

Title: Abraham Lincoln
Author: Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt
Illustrator: David A. Johnson
Genre: Biography
Theme (s): Leadership, Strength
Opening Line/Sentence: See that tall, tall man in that tall black hat? Know who he is? That’s right, he’s the man on the penny—Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States.
Brief Book Summary: This book is a summary of Abraham Lincoln’s life. It describes his accomplishments and his journey towards becoming a president.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: (Horn Books) K-3 In brief chapters of simple, clear prose, Adler tells anecdotes about Abraham Lincoln's life, beginning with his childhood. In addition to historical facts, some entertaining stories about Lincoln's fabled honesty and kindness (e.g., rescuing a pig from the mud, going out of his way to deliver the mail) are included. Some of the illustrations are awkwardly proportioned.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: (Horn Book) The illustrations underscore the texts, resulting in accessible, traditional, but still attractive first introductions to Abraham Lincoln.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I had the some of the same response as the two recommendations listed above. The illustrations help the reader understand what is happening on each page. However, I did not feel that any of the pictures were “awkwardly proportioned.”
Evaluation of Literary Elements: There is a picture on every other page, which children will enjoy. This gives children a break to observe the picture and take the time to comprehend what they had just read. The words are age appropriate and the storyline is exciting to follow.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This story is great to incorporate into the classroom because it provides information about one of our presidents in an engaging way. The story makes for great discussions and questions. It might be a clever idea to bring in a tall hat as a prop for the children to look at while reading the book.

[Erin Prosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you first peer at the cover of this biographical picture book, you see a very tall book. The colors of the cover are also very rustic and something you would associate one of our past presidents with. The picture of the boy on the cover is also very well drawn and makes you want to look inside.

The biographical picture book "Abraham Lincoln" written by Amy Cohn and illustrations by David Johnson was a great book to sit down and read. This would be a great book to read to children because one very known fact about Lincoln was that he was VERY tall and the book itself is very tall. Like any person would understand, this book takes the reader through the adventurous and courageous life of Abraham Lincoln. Throughout the entire book, the detailed rustic looking pictures go so well along with the words that are across the page from it. It shows Lincoln at different stages of his life and shows how he grows through the process. The style Johnson used for creating this illustrations was a very realistic style, considering the book is a biography and informational. Towards the end of the book, the author had to somehow address the issue of death, which is hard for children to grasp. I think Cohn does a great job of preciously addressing this issue briefly then elaborating on it saying what happened afterwards such as the funeral prosession and how people lined the streets with disbelief.
I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it was very informational and fun to read plus the illustrations were very interesting to look at while you read the book. This would be a great book to include in a lesson plan because Abraham Lincoln was a very iconic person and children need to learn a lot about him and what he did for America. I would say this book would be a reading level of about 3rd grade because there is alot of words and some vocabulary that would be suitable for a 3rd grade reading level and might be a challenge for 2nd graders.

[John Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but gave it 5 stars because this book is a great contribution to historical children's literature. I actually used this book with a class of 2nd graders when we were covering the presidents and american history. They took well to the book and were able to recall plenty of details from the book. They seems to be fine with the mentioning of Lincoln's assassination. In fact when I taught the lesson with the kids this is the only children's book I could find that talked about the assassination. I can understand where we might want to shield children from unsavory topics such as assassinations but this is a part of this country and Lincoln's history that, in my opinion should not be passed over because of it negative connotations. I love the illustrations because they make me feel like they are illustrations that could have come out of the time when Lincoln was alive which is the reaction I'm sure the illustrator was going for. I was interesting to see the changes this book went through throughout the book. First the pictures aren't of great quality in the beginning but become more sophisticated near the end, the same could be said for the words. When Lincoln is plowing with his father the words in the book aren't so sophisticated, but when the book gets to his political part of his life the words and pictures become more sophisticated. All in all perfect book for 2nd to even 5th grade and a wonderful contribution to children's literature.

[Rachel Hancock · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Abraham Lincoln" by Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt tells the story of Abraham's Lincoln life from his birth to his death. The book shares factual information and takes readers on an adventure as they share about each stage of Lincoln's life. The book describes all of the places Lincoln lived and tells all about the various jobs he had. The book also uses large text and words that are very appropriate and easy to understand for young readers.

Additionally, this book is filled with beautiful water-colors by David A. Johnson. For every page of text, there is also a page of pictures. The pictures are very nicely done and accurately describe the scene that is being described by the adjoining words. Furthermore, the pictures are realistic and show a progression in Lincoln's appearance as he grows and ages over the course of his life.

I liked this book and think it would be beneficial for young readers. I really enjoyed that it included pictures and think this would help make it fun for kids to read. Moreover, I appreciated that the book was very appropriate for its audience and did not overwhelm young children with dates and facts, but rather, it simply told the story of Lincoln's life in a way that was easy for them to understand and appreciate.

[Alex.ferg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about our famous 16th president, and tells the story of his life events in a nut shell. It follows his life from when he was born in a log cabin in KY, all the way through when he died after the war. This is good for younger readers, because it gives great historical information, without too much detail. This helps to not overwhelm the students, but they can still get the main idea. I think using a historical picture book is a good way to teach history to your younger students, because at that age they need the main ideas and not as much details. They also need visuals, which help them understand what is going on, and get a better picture of the time period. You can use this book to introduce Abraham Lincoln, of course, but also other famous people of this time such as Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses Grant, as well as famous events such as the Civil War.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this non-fiction children's history book on Abraham Lincoln. It has a very interesting and intriguing format because of the personal quotes and the rhyming format found through the book. The illustrations in the book depict Abraham's emotions and the setting perfectly and add to the story. The book discusses his life from the day he was born to the day he was assassinated. It tells stories about his life growing up, his journey to join the senate, and become president of the United States. At the end of the book the author talks about how people praise Abraham Lincoln for the work he did as president and references the memorial made for him in Washington D.C.. I would use this book in my classroom as a read aloud close to Abraham Lincoln's birthday to teach the students about how times have changed and the impact Abraham Lincoln had on our country.

[Amy Dennehy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book! It teaches the reader about Abraham Lincoln’s life in an interesting and intriguing format from the personal quotes from Lincoln to the rhyming and structure found throughout the book. The quotes found in this story add detail and interest that kept me reading. This book was also very clearly written; it details President Lincoln’s life from the day he was born to the day he was killed. It gives great insight into the process Lincoln went through to become president. I would not only recommend this book to children but adults as well. It is great for children as it provides great information through text as well as through illustrations. The illustrations in the book add to the story and show Lincoln’s emotion. Overall, I believe this was a great book, which everyone will enjoy!

[Hannah Evilsizor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from the first page drawls students in by asking the question " see that tall tall man in that tall black hat?" Students and myself want to turn the page and see who the man is and what he does. This book says the facts of the story of Abe Lincoln in a way that is interesting to students but it also focuses on the positive outcomes of the story. The book does tell that the president was shot. I would read this book to 2nd through 4th graders. There are a lot of words on each page so I would probably not read all of them to younger students. This book would be great to read during social studies when talking about US history and the Civil War. I would definitely put this book in a places that students could read it later. There are also lots of references to other events and people in this book that could be talked about with students.

[Lacey Bolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I really liked how it began by pointing out that Abraham Lincoln is the man on the penny. I think for younger elementary students (1-3 grade) this peaks their attention because they can relate. This book could be used in a social studies unit about Abraham Lincoln, or in a project where students research presidents and share their findings. At my elementary school we did a "wax museum" project where students researched famous people (such as presidents) and dressed up like them and stood around the school with a "button" in which parents teachers and other students could come around and press the "button" and you would tell them about who you were and what you learned. This book would be great for a project such as this because it is a simple read with a good amount of information and illustrations to keep young students engaged.

[Matt Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biographical Picture Book
This book was about Abraham Lincolns life, starting from when he was born. He was always tall and lanky, even from birth. He was born in KY but moved to IN where he cut down trees to help build things for his family. He did not have much education. Lincoln began reading and read as much as he could about whatever he could. He became state legislature in Illinois, got married, and became president. The last part talks about the Emmancipation Proclomation and his death. This book goes through his life very fast but is good for kids because it gives an overview rather than a lot of detail they won't remember. The illustartions were excelletn and vivid with color. They depicted what was in the text and showed some interesting views of Lincoln.

[Katie Frakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informational and I feel like I learned a lot after reading it! As it is easy to assume, this book is about Abraham Lincoln and details his life from the day he was born to the day he was assassinated. There are also personal quotes from President Lincoln incorporated throughout the story, which was very interesting to me because these quotes really showed who he was as a person and leader. In addition to all of the detail, I found this book to be very well written and the text had such a cool rhyming structure to it. This rhyming was really great because it made the text very fluid and fun to read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think that it would be great to have in a classroom because it teaches a lot about Abraham Lincoln while still being fun to read.

[Andrea Carter]

I chose to read the book, 'Abraham Lincoln' by Amy L. Cohn because he is one of my favorite presidents to study. I think Abraham Lincoln made a huge impact in American history so children should learn and study about him. The book seems to be aged but I think this adds character and charm to the book since it is about a historical figure. The illustrations in the book seem to be fantasy-like and are drawn with primarily darker colors and pencils. Something that this book contained that I found very helpful and factual was located in the back of the book. It is a list of important dates of Abraham Lincoln's life. I thought this could be very beneficial to students doing a history report on Lincoln.

[Paul Terrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pictue book which allows the reader to get a quick view in to the life of one of our nations greatest Presidents. It allows young readers to see Lincoln in other ways than just being the President, and it does this in a fun way. It is constantly talking about him being so tall, and how his pants never fit. This illustrations are great also because they do a good job in showing Lincoln aging and also capture his mood very well. I believe this could be a great tool in my future classroom to help me educate my students about the life of Abraham Lincoln.

biography

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Begins with Lincoln's birth and ends with an illustration of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Language attempts to bring the reader back to Lincoln's time and place. Shows the turmoil he felt as he led the nation during the Civil War and the ways he attempted to lighten the mood and bring laughter to those around him. Full page illustrations, ink and watercolor washes show Lincoln as he grows up. Additional resource: important dates from Lincoln's life.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful. This telling still has new stories, new elements. For example, his hands were sore signing the Emancipation Proclamation because of all the New Year's Day callers the day before. They called Ulysses S. Grant "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. The war ended a year from the time he was appointed. The last page is a picture of the Lincoln monument, "He looks like a giant, doesn't he? He was." So great.

[Mrs. Wynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to third grade yesterday. From the look of the layout and illustrations (ink and watercolor washes) I sure thought this was a much older book than it is. Looks to be early 1900's but actually 2002! The illustrations were nice, done in pale colors, and well-written. I would not suggest the book for students younger than third grade. The book covers Lincoln's life from birth through death and his memorial in Washington, D.C.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informational picture book on Abraham Lincoln, that describes a little bit about each stage in his life from crib to casket. The wording was written in that awkward backwoods way, which took away from the story a bit. Some of the vocabulary words were a little challenging for this books target audience as well, some clarification would have been helpful.

[Mary Westlake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this new spin on a biography I have heard so many times. Capturing the essence of Abraham Lincoln's life, this book made him seem like more of a person and less of a figure. Focusing on his personal life as opposed to his life's work, I felt that I gained an understanding of who he was as a person; Honest (of course), sensitive, determined and humorous.

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another "timepiece" children's picture book! Did I mention that I love these types of books?! =)

This was a good description of President Lincoln's life. It has good stories and pictures, as well...

[Chenoa Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Grades Kindergarten to 3rd grade
-Biography of Abraham Lincoln's life as a child to his adult life.
-Student friendly
-Play on words to capture reader's attention

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a easy read for factual information I would like to use this book as a reference for historical figures ( presidents). I recommend this book for 1st-3rd grades.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great biography about Abraham Lincoln. I especially loved the ending that will really resonate with readers and lead to great discussion.

[Emma Fields]

Summary: This book outlines the birth, upbringing, youth, and political career of Abraham Lincoln. The author shares a lot about the decisions he made as president and touched on the Emancipation Proclamation.

Analysis: I really enjoyed this book because it started out with Lincoln as a child, so it could make it easier for children to connect with. I think that seeing the process of a revered public figure starting out as a "kid just like them" and growing up into the public figure a child knows can be very impactful.

How I will use this book in my classroom: This can definitely be used to make a timeline of important things each president accomplished during their time in office.