A Picture Book of George Washington

Picture Book Biography

by David A. Adler, Alexandra Wallner, John Wallner

The life and legacy of our nation's first president, also known as   commander of the Continental Army, husband to Martha, and an avid farmer and equestrian. 

Over two hundred years after his death, George Washington remains one of the most studied figures in American history. This clear and concise picture book biography covers the important facts and historical background, complemented by charming illustrations. The text details Washington's early life as well as the Revolutionary War and his impressive career as leader of the newly formed United States. Young readers will love learning more about the man who was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Back matter features a timeline.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1989

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yesterday was Presidents' Day here in the states, a federal holiday that originally commemorated the birthday of George Washington (February 22nd, 1732), but which now celebrates all of our presidents. In honor of the day, I decided to track down a picture-book biography of our first president, and having recently read some other entries in David A. Adler's Picture Book Biographies series, settled upon this one, as a likely candidate for a first introduction to the subject for young children. The narrative here outlines the many events of Washington's turbulent life, from his childhood in Virginia to his service in the French and Indian War, his leadership of the American forces during the Revolution, and his election as the new nation's first president. The text is accompanied by the illustrations of John and Alexandra Wallner, and a timeline is included at the rear.


First published in 1989, A Picture Book of George Washington was the sixth entry in Adler's series, and provides (with one exception) a good basic introduction to its subject's life. The text is simple and easily understood, and while it doesn't really give much background information regarding the historical causes of any of the events chronicled, it gives enough that young children will understand the major periods in Washington's life, coming away with an appreciation for all he accomplished. My main criticism of the book would be that it never mentions the fact that Washington was a slave owner, either in the main narrative or in the timeline. This surprised me, as the first volume from this series that I read, A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus , did mention (however briefly) the deleterious effects of Columbus' voyage on the native peoples of the Caribbean. I understand that in books intended for this age group - I would say it is suitable for children between four and six years old - it is appropriate to concentrate more on the positive aspects of the subject under discussion, but I nevertheless feel uncomfortable seeing all of the negatives simply omitted. A simple mention of the fact that Washington owned slaves, perhaps followed by the information that he posthumously freed them, would have sufficed here, given the nature of this book. In the end, I think this is a title I would only recommend in conjunction with some other picture-book about the subject, and I suspect, much as with my current project to find picture-books about Martin Luther King Jr. that I would recommend, I have a new project on my hands.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Picture Book of George Washington (Picture Book Biography)
by David A. Adler
Shows the history and predetermined story of Washington from his birth to his death. What he accomplished and how he changed the culture, and society of early Americans.

[Meagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After looking at three libraries for a book to read to my first graders when I taught about George Washington, this is what I settled on. The main reason I chose it was that the story was simple enough to follow, and it wasn't extremely text heavy the way many of the books I found were. However, I didn't find it particularly inspiring. It's a bit cartoonish and light.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice simple book to learn about our first president and some early America happenings.

[Bookbag_Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

American presidents have attracted and endured nicknames ever since George Washington was called the ``Sword of the Revolution,″ ``Father of His Country,″ the ``Sage of Mount Vernon″ and, interestingly, ``The Old Fox.″

TRAVELED TO // Virginia, Pennsylvania, An American Battlefield & New York
MET ALONG THE WAY // George Washington

[Caroline Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief informational picture book filled with illustrations that would appeal to children. Not text heavy or complex information for young readers to take in, making this a valuable read when looking for true information about prominent figures. This particular story goes through George Washington’s life and tells where he is born in Virginia, and how his father died when he was a young boy. It also touches on a job he took in the wilderness before becoming a war hero and later our first president. Completing the story by briefly mentioning that he got sick and died after a successful life in the eyes of most Americans. Quick facts and the important information without providing a bunch of detailed stories, but successful for the target audience. The illustrations are full of lighter colors and not extremely detailed or complex. They all contain a white frame to help readers feel as if they are reading about a person of the past, helping to convey the idea that it’s a biography. Even with the use of timeline at the end to provide an extra visual for students who would like to see everything laid out into one diagram. This would be best read to readers 5-7 as it isn’t super interesting or informative but is good for younger students. I would use this for a classroom activity on presidents and allow students to create a report or read this book/ other short books on presidents and share back with their table and class on the information they found.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Washington, born in 1732, learned to read and write in school and discovered that he enjoyed surveying. At sixteen, he obtained a position as a surveyor and worked in the Virginia wilderness.

At the age of twenty-one, George joined the Virginia army; he led Virginia soldiers against the French in the French and Indian War. He had a reputation as a brave and good leader.

Five years after he joined the army, George married Martha Custis and moved to Mount Vernon. When the American colonies began fighting with the English, they chose George to lead the Continental Army. Eight years later, when the war was over, brave George was a hero and he became America’s first president.

=========

Early primary-grade readers, grades one through three, ages six through eight, are the targeted audience for this book; the book is part of the author’s Picture Book Biography series.

Colorful illustrations accompany this biography of George Washington. Written for the young reader, the book focuses on some of the highlights of his career while illustrating his life before and after his term as president. A chart highlighting the important dates in Washington’s life is also included.

Highly recommended.

[Hannah Lewczynski · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author of this story tells a factual story on George Washington and makes sure to include many many details like dates and events that happened in history before/during/after he became the first President of The United States. The story is very "sunshine and rainbows" as all the facts are positive ones. I feel this book accomplished what it set out to do: tell a beautiful story of George Washington. However, I feel the book just reiterates what is learned in the American school system and doesn't broaden knowledge outside of that. This book would be a good teachers resource for teaching kids what the system would like students to know during U.S. History in Middle School. The last page has a list of "important dates" which I found nice to have to keep the kids organized on chronological order.

[Megan Ballard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the life story of the first president of the United States, George Washington, with pictures to describe major events in his life. I enjoyed this book because it took the story of Washington and put into a condensed version that young children can understand. I also enjoyed the pictures because they added extra detail to the information that allowed for a clearer, more entertaining message to be portrayed to the readers. I would use this book in a 1st-2nd grade social studies class to teach them about the first president and to show his true character, relating events in his life to the lives of my students. This book shows a personal side of Washington and allows the students to truly relate to him instead of being intimidated by his power as president.

[Caleb Ensminger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a quick overview of George Washington's life. It begins with discussing how he was born in Virginia and that his father died when he was 11 years old. It then goes on to talk about how Washington took a surveying job in the wilderness of Virginia. The book then goes on to explain how Washington became a war hero, and because of his heroism and leadership skills, he was named the first president.

This book was very informational. I was able to learn lots of facts about George Washington that I hadn't known before. The illustrations were also done very well. I feel like kids would enjoy reading this book or having it read to them. I could also use this book in an American history lesson when teaching my students about the life of our first president.

[Matthew Yung · Rating 2 out of 5]

A kid friendly biography of the life of George Washington although not the most accurate or detailed but informative enough to keep kids interested. This is a retelling of the Father of America's life from childhood to his days as president to his eventual death (though they mention he get just gets sick and dies).

I would say that though the illustrations are kid friendly I wouldn't reccommend this to children as I see it as misleading and doesn't tell children anything bad about Washington and that he was nothing but a good man. Nothing about how he had slaves was stated at all within the text. All that was said was that he was a smart man and what a great leader he was.

[Jill Westerbur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book a 3 star rating. I found this book to be interesting and intriguing for children. I gave it a 3 star because I believe more detail could've been included about this very historic man. I found the illustrations to be great and well done.

A kid friendly biography of the life of George Washington although not the most accurate or detailed but informative enough to keep kids interested. This is a retelling of the Father of America's life from childhood to his days as president to his death. It also includes many important dates.

[Allison Tubaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: historical fiction

Grades: k-2

A Picture Book of George Washington by David A. Adler is a great book to introduce the topic of presidents, or if you want to discuss the culture of that time period with your class. It is easy to understand and the illustrations are very well drawn out and colorful so it may keep the children engaged and interested. To find out about George Washington you’ll have to read tee book!

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“First in War, first in peace, and first in hearts of countrymen.” Nice little synopsis of the life and times of our first president. I liked the little emphasis on how he set soldiers on the farmers who neglected their whiskey tax. The characters seemed very put out to be handing over a sack of coins to the men with muskets, with George surveying it all mildly.

Seemed a bit tongue in cheek to mention that shortly after the tea tax...

[Mackenzie Ezell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good and simple biography book about the life of George Washington that would be good for young readers. It starts with his life, where he was born and what he liked to do as a child, his favorite subject and when his father died. It talked about him meeting and marrying his wife and then goes throughout the rest of the important events in his life. I liked the illustrations in this book and liked how it was written simply for children.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up a lot of books about George Washington to introduce our first President. I thought this was the stinker of the bunch. This one just did not have a storyline that would help a child remember anything notable about this great man or inspire interest on learning more. It regurgitates dates and events and has accompanying pictures.

[Libby Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty dry, clear cut biography of George Washington with a lot of dates listed.

My 4 year old only cared about the pics with horses which said to me the content didn’t grab her attention at all. I definitely want to find a more engaging picture book biography for George Washington.

[Ashley Frickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple presentation of George Washingtons character and the major events in his life.

[Abbie Gerig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Grades: 3-5

I really liked how simple this book was because it reflected the simple personality and thinking of George Washington. And although the book is simple, it does a great job covering the main events of George Washington's life.

[Aven · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to read I might as well make it count towards my GoodReads goal
gotta love American propaganda

[Keegan Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Grade: 1-3
This book covers the main pieces of George Washington's history while including some great illustrations to go along with it. I would definitely include this book in a history lesson about George Washington.

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

😀😀😀🙂

[TREVIS C]

Biography. An account of the life of George Washington spanning his early years to his time as president.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre- Biography
This is a youth book about the life of George Washington. He was a great leader and the "Father of Our Country." He lived on a farm when he was little where he loved to horseback ride and learned to read and write in school. He was the first president, "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
A. Area of comment- ilustrations
B. Other than loving the story of George Washington, I loved the style of illustrations Mr. and Mrs.Wallner did. They are bright, colorful, yet detailed and give great characteristics to Washington.
C. For example, pages 9-10 show Washington on a horse during the French and Indian War. The details are illustrated perfectly without being too much/little.

Of course this is an awesome curriculum connection for history. I would use this for the younger grades, but it is definitely able to be used for the older kids. It teaches them a perfect amount about him.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This children's biography is a classic historic tale of the life of George Washington. The story begins with George as a child, and as the story continues you learn facts about his life as the stories timeline continues. The biography closes with the death of George Washington and a list of important dates in his life.

The pastel and lighter colors really give it a historic feel. Each page's illustration is framed with a white rim, making it seem as if you are looking into the past rather than feeling as if you are in the story. I would not recommend this biography for children who rather run their imagination wild while reading than focus strictly on facts. Since this book is all facts. This book is more focused for a child writing their first report, or a child who would like to learn some basic facts of United States history.

[Justine Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for second or third graders to learn about George Washington and the events that lead to the Revolutionary War. It revolves around Washington's life. How he fought in the French and Indian war, married a wealthy widow. I like that it made a quick reference to the colonists in the war and how they had terrible conditions in the winter. I know the reading level is a little early for the subject, but I think it is a great introduction. It could even prepare students for the Revolutionary War subject in later in their school years. At the end, there is a quick timeline of all the major events that happened in George Washington's life.

[Kayla Dunbar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple biographical picture book. The pictures and words are simple but it tells the story of George Washington in a way that is easy for readers to understand. The pictures are very animated but they help enhance the story very much. They help the reader visualize the story. Adler does a very good job of depicting and telling the story of George Washington in a way that makes it easy for readers to understand. The words are simple and short sentences but that helps make it easier to read. The readers will enjoy the use of colors in the illustrations and will feel engaged by the story of George Washington

[Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adler, David A., John C. Wallner, and Alexandra Wallner. A Picture Book of George Washington. New York: Holiday House, 1989.

*Biography

- This is a non-fiction picture book depicting some of the major life event and accomplishments of George Washington

Themes
-Biography
-Heroism
-Leadership

Activities to do with children
-Use on presidents day along with the picture book of Abraham Lincoln. Compare and contrast their life events
-Use during the Revolutionary War unit in 4th grade to reinforce the information of about George Washington's role.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect introduction to George Washington for a small child. Entertaining illustrations with one or two brief sentences to whet a child's appetite about our first president. Brief bullet points to give a nice overview, it's not too involved and an educator can choose to introduce more information to match the level of the child. Perfect as a starter book that can begin a unit allowing for a child to pick an area to research for more details. As it is, I find it perfect for the kindergarden set.

[Cheryl P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple biography of the life of George Washington. This book starts at his early childhood and goes to his death, with special attention on the war and his presidency. It’s in chronological order and points out important dates. The details and events are clear but simple. It would be an appropriate book for early elementary. I would use this book for social studies content in presidents, historical figures, and historical events. The writing trait I would identify this book with is organization as the information presented clearly follows a chronological order of events.