[( The Biggest (and Best) Flag That Ever Flew )] [by: Rebecca C. Jones] [Jan-2010]

by Rebecca C. Jones

Young Caroline Pickersgill lived with her mother and grandmother in Baltimore, Maryland. Mrs. Pickersgill, a widow, supported herself and her daughter by making flags for the ships that sailed into the city. Some soldiers from Fort McHenry came to her to order the biggest and best flag in the world, and Caroline helped to make it.When the British sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to destroy Baltimore during the War of 1812, the defenders at the fort beat them back. After the British sailed away the next day, the flag gallantly streaming over the fort was the one Caroline and her mother had sewn. And "by the dawn's early light, " Francis Scott Key saw it waving "o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Genres: Picture Books, History

Hardcover

First published June 30, 1988

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Pickersgill's mother makes flags for a living at her home in Baltimore. One day, soldiers from nearby Fort McHenry came to the house to ask Mrs. Pickersgill to sew the biggest flag in the whole world. Caroline and her mother got right to work cutting the fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. The flag was so enormous, it had to be assembled in an empty building down the street. When it was done, the flag was thirty feet wide, forty-two feet long, and weighed 200 pounds. The flag was raised on a pole at Fort McHenry. Caroline and her mom could see the flag from their window.

One rainy September day, British ships attacked Baltimore. The next morning, after the smoke had cleared, everyone saw that the flag was still flying. It was this flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that later became our national anthem.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

This is a bit of history I never really thought about before, and it's nice to see women's roles depicted in relation to the war effort, even if it was only sewing.


Mary Pickersgill's flag can be seen at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that you can't see the pictures, but if you could, you'd be oohing and aahing all over them! They are entirely and utterly adorably cute!

The narrative is delightful too. It's well told and well paced, and includes the historical facts your inquisitive kids would ask about.

Definitely recommend this one.

Ages: 5 - 10

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[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the illustrations! And this is a good picture book for the War of 1812 which is pretty much a blip in most textbooks let alone having much of a picture book following. This story tells about the mother and daughter who made the giant flag that flew in the US victory for the War of 1812--the one Key wrote "Star Spangled Banner" after and which now hangs in the Smithsonian. The storytelling is nothing special, but it's still a worthy read for 4th of July.

[Lisa Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction book is geared towards the younger child. My son and I bought this book last year upon visiting Ft. McHenry. My son and I became enchanted with the place and my son started to ask questions regarding the American Flag. This book was in the gift shop and the book was an instant hit with us upon reading it. My son delighted in the story and was very interested in the pictures. He was amazed at how big our flag was and he enjoyed seeing the different military ships and soldiers. The main character in the book is a young girl, Caroline Pickersgill, who lived with her mother and grandmother right in the heart of our beloved Baltimore. The book takes place during the War of 1812. Most children are intrigued about war and about the periods in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. It is a world so foreign to them that it is almost make believe.
The Pickersgill women supported themselves by making flags for various ships that stopped in Baltimore. The soldiers that were stationed in Ft. McHenry asked the women and ordered “The biggest and best flag in the world”. It was a complex process, but the illustrations depict how the women were able to assemble and sew the flag. It was imminent that the British were coming. There was a fierce battle where Francis Scott Key was aboard the ship and when the battle was over, he saw that our flag was still standing. He wrote the poem, “Star Spangled Banner”, which is our National Anthem. Throughout the text, there were direct quotations from our anthem. Children hear our anthem starting at a young age at various events and baseball games. It is important to learn about our anthem, but for children in Baltimore, it is especially important because this “history lesson” takes place in our hometown. This would be a good book to read to children and to follow up a social studies lesson by visiting The Flag House in Baltimore. Everytime we pass it, Ben asks, “Does Caroline Pickersgill still live there?” The illustrations in the book were filled with bright and bold colors. The scenes were memorable-the women sewing the large flag, the battles that occured and the beautiful picture of our flag still standing were amazing.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is directly linked to the story that I just read yesterday. In the past two days, I've learned more than I ever believed I would know about origin of the Star-Spangled Banner. I think it's a good story worth reading about at least once in a lifetime. This one is more primary than the first one was and its focus is on the flag makers instead of Francis Scott Key for once, but it's still just as good a story.