To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt

by Doreen Rappaport, C.F. Payne (Illustrator)

A thrilling portrait of an unforgettable president by the critically acclaimed author of Abe's Honest Words and Martin's Big Words .

President Theodore Roosevelt is known as "the man with a plan," the "rough rider." His figure stands tall in American history; his legacy stretching him to larger-than-life proportions.

But before his rise to fame, he was just "Teedie," a boy with ambitious dreams to change the world, and the conviction to see his stupendous imaginings brought to fruition.

As an American president, he left an impressive mark upon his country. He promised a "square deal" to all citizens, he tamed big businesses, and protected the nation's wildlife and natural beauty. His fearless leadership assured that he would always be remembered, and his robust spirit now dares others to do mighty things.

In her moving picture book portrait, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport uses her well-honed approach of personal quotes and vivid prose to spin together the tale of a sickly boy who became a monumental man. Coupled with C. F. Payne's dramatic artwork, the story of President Teddy, touchstone of American history, is brought to life.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Presidents, Childrens, Biography Memoir

48 pages, Hardcover

First published December 17, 2013

About the author

Doreen Rappaport has written many books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, specializing in thoroughly researched multicultural history, historical fiction, retellings of folktales and myths, and stories of those she calls the "not-yet-celebrated." Among her recent books is Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received a Caldecott Honor Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustration. Doreen Rappaport divides her time between New York City and a rural village in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE how the jacket cover of this book captures the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt. I'm a fan of Doreen Rappaport and enjoyed learning more about the big personality of the 26th president. He certainly lived an extraordinary life. Great quotes, information, and illustrations.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I would rather go out of politics feeling that I had done right than stay, knowing I have acted as I ought not to."

It's refreshing to read about a politician who actually makes a positive difference in the world! One that is more concerned about doing right by his constituents. "An office holder must do his duty for the whole people, not for any party or any faction." A man who overcame childhood maladies and had a big vision for change "We are not building this country for a day. It is to last through the ages." .A very readable account for students

When we ask students to do research into the impact a person has, they don't always understand what type of evidence to look for. This is a great book to read to them to give them examples of impact. I'll be doing a note-taking focus lesson and using this book for my source. A nice bibliography at the back for additional research. I also like the primary source quotes integrated into the text.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A larger-than-life picture book biography of Teddy Roosevelt. Quotes are woven into the narrative which helps readers get a feel for Roosevelt's passions and motivations.

The narrative didn't read as completely free of bias which had a tendency of taking me out of the story just when I was getting comfortable.

Back matter includes an Important Events timeline, selected reserch sources, further reading and recommended websites.

The artwork was epic and leaves a lasting impression. Grades 3-5+.

[Amy Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well done. Actual quotes from TR are scattered throughout, and integrated into the narrative. The oversized picture book has colorful artwork and the text complements the illustrations, which illuminate the content of the narrative well. Best of all, it includes the major information I wanted to impart to my kids about Roosevelt, his career, the Maine and ensuing war with Spain, his rise to the presidency, his family, trust-busting, conservation, and imperialist tendencies. The end papers include a nice timeline and bibliography. Good book for read aloud and for kids' homework.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy Roosevelt came alive in the pages of this book, his tenacity and love of adventure. This is a book that can inspire young readers to learn more about history because it brought the past alive in words and pictures.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and engaging biography of President Teddy Roosevelt. I liked (as I have in other books by Rappaport) the inclusion of some of Roosevelt's actual words.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author and illustrator effectively bring this larger than life figure vividly to life in this accessible, boldly illustrated introduction.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the best choice on the cover was to put nothing but the big blown up face of Teddy Roosevelt on the cover.

A wonderful picture book biography that highlights (because he was so well-written) the quotes attributed to him start to finish in large text. He was a champion for conserving land and animals having created many national parks and monuments that was a carryover from a full-life well lived in and around the country. When he was younger, he collected wild and dead things and put them up in a museum around his room and wrote about them. He did this while trying to strengthen a body that was fighting against him.

I didn't know about his wife and mother dying after the birth of his daughter and how he spent a few years in solitude to recover going on to be much love and much hated in various positions he held.

'I've got to life that sort of life, I don't care how short it is.'

'It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.'

'No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.'

[Anna Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: C. F. Payne
Genre: Biography
Theme(s): perseverance, following your dreams, never give up
Opening line/sentence: “’Teddie,’ as he was called, coughed, sneezed, wheezed, had raging fevers, and hardly ate.”
Brief Book Summary:
To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt is about biography of Theodore Roosevelt’s life. The story begins with him as a sickly child dreaming of all the wonderful things he loves like hero’s and animals. The story continues in chronological order, ending with Teddy running for president again and loosing but looking back at his life and having no regrets.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Ilene Cooper (Booklist, Dec. 15, 2013 (Vol. 110, No. 8))
Starred Review* Theodore Roosevelt s big ideas and big personality come together in this splendid picture-book biography. Most readers won’t know who Roosevelt is, but they will be drawn into the book by the laughing portrait on the otherwise wordless cover. Once inside, they will be hooked by Rappaport s portrait of young Teedie, a sickly child who is nonetheless high-spirited and curious about everything. And he is determined to do as his father insists: make over his body so that it is as strong as his mind. The book s artful design uses two-page spreads to convey Roosevelt s wide-ranging interests and experiences charging up San Juan Hill; isolating himself in the Dakota territory, after the death of his first wife; even struggling to bust trusts to help small companies compete (here the image is of a small Roosevelt roping a huge hand tightly holding a wad of money). The only picture that doesn’t t really work, ironically, is the dully colored spread that discusses TR s conservation efforts. The text neatly balances brevity and information, and key quotes are in a bold font that draws the eye. Occasionally, events could have been tied together more smoothly, but overall this is a terrific introduction to one of America s most energetic and far-sighted presidents. Grades 3-5
(PUBLISHER: Disney*Hyperion (New York:), PUBLISHED: [2013])
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2013 (Vol. 81, No. 20))
U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt certainly dared mighty things, and this lavish picture-book biography deftly captures the legendary man's bold, exuberant nature. Young "Teedie" Roosevelt wanted to be fearless like Daniel Boone and the Valley Forge soldiers he read about, but he was a sickly child. A dramatic full-bleed spread shows the quilt-wrapped Teedie reading in a big chair, visions of polar bears and eagles dancing in his head--an apt reflection of the boy who would go on to keep a giant tortoise in his room at Harvard and then to help protect America's wildlife. Roosevelt's private joys and sorrows as well as professional highlights from his Rough Rider days in Cuba to his 1906 Nobel Peace Prize are chronicled here in colorful, accessible prose, punctuated by character-illuminating quotations. This is a portrait of a passionate man who wanted to make a difference and did, as police commissioner or author, cattle rancher or U.S. president. Payne's expressive, muted paintings--quite grand when showcasing America's majestic landscapes--are full of warmth and humor befitting the joyful man who declared "No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way." A truly inspiring tribute to a seemingly larger-than-life U.S. president. (timeline, selected research sources, bibliography, websites, acknowledgments) 2013, Disney Hyperion, 48 pp., $17.99. Category: Picture book/biography. Ages 7 to 12. Starred Review. © 2013 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Disney*Hyperion (New York:), PUBLISHED: [2013])
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both of these reviews thought this book accurately portrayed Teddy’s life and I agree. However, the reviews seemed to enjoy the illustrations but I did not. To me, they seemed dull, boring, and did not add anything special to the text. I agree with the first reviewer that the text balances key information and quotes while at the same time trying to keep things short. I also agree that the quotes in bold draw the reader’s attention in but I did not like how the overall picture of the text ended up looking.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The cover of this book is just a large picture of Theodore Roosevelt’s face with a big smile on it. I like the picture but I do not like that there is no title or text at all on the cover. I also did not like how the text inside of the book was presented. There would be small text at the top of a page, a large quote in bold in the middle, and smaller text at the bottom of the page. I did not like all of those transitions. Immediately by eyes would go to the quote that was in large text and bolded but then I would have to move my eyes to find the smaller text where the story begins on that page. The illustrations were mainly out of dull and dark colors that did not add anything special to the text.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
To incorporate this book into my future classroom I would I would use this book as a read aloud in a history lesson. I would provide each child with a simple three column worksheet to fill out as I read the story out loud. The columns would be Theodore’s action, the impact it had on the nation, and a personal connection to the action. After I was finished with the story we would share our worksheets and the information we wrote down.

[Kathryn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually log picture books but I wanted to remember these that we read on our trip out west. From what I’ve ready about Theodore Roosevelt, he was a larger than life character and the illustrations in this book really captured that side of him.

[Don Gubler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and written. Inspiring story.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good child's picture book biography. But Teddy Roosevelt always comes across bigger than life. So this book neither feels like a stand out or anything close to complete. But the art is better than typical as is the writing. There are lots of words for a picture book but not too many and it is well written. Many of the words are Roosevelt's own, but that doesn't get in the way.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of Teddy Roosevelt uses many of his own words to tell his story. Teddy Roosevelt, a sickly child, worked hard to overcome his physical limitations, and to make a difference in public life. He was certainly brave, and dedicated to reform. He was fervidly committed to conservation of natural resources. His evangelical-like crusade against big business and reputation as a “trust-buster” has stuck with him to this day. Rappaport quotes Roosevelt as maintaining, “I acted for the well-being of all our people.” TR did not, however, act for the well-being of non-white people. Rappaport totally omits this aspect of TR in this hagiography for kids.

In fact, TR bought into (and himself espoused) the eugenics theories of the time that inspired the rise of the Nazi Party a generation later. He saw life as a violent struggle between the strong and the weak, with whites being “the forward race” and blacks and others “intellectually inferior.”

While TR is known for inviting Booker T. Washington, a black man, to the White House, as PBS points out, “Roosevelt invited Washington not to improve the situation of blacks, but because they agreed that blacks should not strive for political and social equality.” Roosevelt’s Administration actually decreased the number of federal appointments to blacks, with Roosevelt promising Southerners that he would appoint local federal officials that would not disrupt the accord between north and south.

Roosevelt advocated that whites should breed as much as possible – otherwise they risked “race suicide”.

His racist attitudes extended to all non-whites. Of Native Americans, he said in an 1886 speech:

"I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of 10 are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the 10th. The most vicious cowboy has more moral principle than the average Indian.”

He defended the Government’s treatment of Indians by observing:

"This continent had to be won. We need not waste our time in dealing with any sentimentalist who believes that, on account of any abstract principle, it would have been right to leave this continent to the domain, the hunting ground of squalid savages. It had to be taken by the white race.”

The book extols TR for setting up many national parks, but makes no mention of the Natives who were displaced by them.

TR also endeavored to stem Japanese immigration, writing:

"To permit the Japanese to come in large numbers into this country would be to cause a race problem and invite and insure a race contest. It is necessary to keep them out.”

Unfortunately, the list could go on. But this book, like so many others, firmly sweeps American racism under the rug.

The illustrations by C.F. Payne, however, are marvelous.

End notes include a list of important events in the life of Theodore Roosevelt, and a list of both books and websites for more information.

Evaluation: This is a good overview of the positive qualities of Theodore Roosevelt, with gorgeous illustrations.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Maxbfunk]

Twin Text: Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. Copyright 2013

Rationale: Rosie Revere is a brilliant young woman with a penchant for crafting and building machines with whatever she can find. By doing this she is able to find an outlet for her creativity, but that doesn't mean she is as outgoing as she is clever. To others she seems quiet, thus no one knows about her talents, until her great aunt Rosie (the riveter) helps her to discover her true self. In To Dare Mighty Things, Theodore Roosevelt's young life is examined, and it is shown that he was small and sickly as a child. The book goes in depth with his struggles, and the great lengths that he went to, to make his body as strong as his mind was, and how it shaped him into the person that he was as an adult. Pairing these books together can help the students to see that big or small, healthy or sickly, quiet or brash, everyone can make a difference and realize their potential with enough effort.

Text Structure: As a biography book, this follows a clear chronological structure. However, it also follows a distinct problem/solution by showing the various hardships, both personal and political, that Roosevelt faced, and the ways that he overcame. There is evidence of cause and effect based on the ways that he solved his problems especially in his youth, and everything is described well in depth.
Strategy Application: After reading these books, I want to use the period after reading to have the children consider hardships that they have faced personally. Now, due to the potentially volatile nature of asking students to talk about a hardship they have faced on paper in class, I will specify talking about themselves, not family or social hardships. After writing a hardship they faced, I will have them discuss how they overcame it, and if they didn't overcome it, then how they think they could. I will then share hardships and how they were conquered without any names attached, showing that everyone has hardships to overcome and that it helps to make them stronger.

Review. (2013. December, 15) Booklist. http://www.booksinprint.com/DetailedV...#

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy Roosevelt doesn’t care one whit what you or I think; he is going to do just what he thinks is best. That’s what I learned from this book. The man had a death wish, I think, and let me just go ahead and say it: if I worked in the White House at the time I’m afraid his children would have driven me insane. I’m pretty sure I would’ve thought, “How can he run the country when he won’t even control his own children?!”

However, I think when kids read it they’ll notice the ways Roosevelt was like them—he had asthma, he loved to read books about animals, he wanted to be an explorer, a mountain climber, brave and bold. Perhaps his courage and determination will inspire some children to their own form of greatness.

I appreciate the way Doreen Rappaport extracts characteristic quotes from her subjects and places emphasis on them to draw readers’ attention. I also love the cover illustration of President Roosevelt laughing; right off the bat it gives a real sense that he was such a happy man and it reinforces the last quotes in the book, one of which reads, “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”

This book is on the 2016 Oklahoma Sequoyah book award master list, and I’m so glad. Some of our children will be introduced to this man who dared to do mighty things for the very first time.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the Big Words series of picture books by Doreen Rappaport. It offers a short, but interesting and informative biography about President Theodore Roosevelt.

The narrative is short and filled with quotes, while the illustrations are very vivid and realistic and depict President Roosevelt throughout his life.

The description of his transformation from a sickly, weak child to the leader of the United States is engaging and dramatic. Young readers will likely be surprised by his maverick military exploits and impressed with his dedication to preserving our nation's forest preserves and creating national parks.

The back of the book includes notes by the author and illustrator, as well as a chronology of the President's life and research sources for further study.

interesting quotes:

"Children make all other forms of success lose their importance by comparison." (p. 32)

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." (p. 42)

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't comb through all of the reader reviews on Goodreads to check for certain, but did anyone notice the rather significant factual error in this book? If you didn't, don't feel bad, the School Library Journal and Booklist missed it too.

Here is the passage in question:

"Roosevelt wanted to buy land in Panama
to build a canal connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Panama's government refused.
When a local revolt started in 1903,
Roosevelt sent troops to help the rebels.
The rebels won."

It was the Colombia that refused the purchase. Panama was a Colombian province at the time. When the Panamanian revolted, Roosevelt sent warships to fend off a Colombian invasion of the isthmus, but other than that, I don't think U.S. troops actually took part in the fighting.

Other than the error, I thought this was a good book with wonderful illustrations. There's nothing like reading about Theodore Roosevelt to make you feel like an underachiever in life!

[Chad Adams]

To Dare Mighty Things was a very interesting book starting from the cover page. The cover page had a big picture of Teedie Roosevelt on it with a big hat on and the title of the book in the back. To me this showed me that the author really cared about the person in the book. The book took us through the life of Roosevelt from when he was a little boy and through his days in politics.

The story had quotes from president Roosevelt himself which I thought were extremely cool. That myself made the book even more credible because his own words were being put in the book. The story also got very personal because the author mentioned the death of his mother and wife who died very close to one another. There are many lessons children can learn from this book because of how great of a person Roosevelt was. The picture in this book were second to none when it came to the quality and how they complemented the text.

[Katelyn Scharmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about Theodore Roosevelt from his childhood all the way to when he died. It explains how he was a very weak man and was not supposed to live very long. He ended up living longer than his mother and wife which tore him apart. He had a kid and he was eventually president before he died.

This was a longer picture book because it took a while to finish it but there were pictures on every page. The historical context is provided and accurate. I know this because I did some research after I read the book to see if some of the things were true and they all ended up being so. There were primary sources used when applicable because multiple times in the book there were quotes from Teddy and his parents. This book also builds self esteem because the doctor told Teddy if he was too active he would die and he ended up being super active because that made him happy and lived a fairly long life. I would recommend this book!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's book on the life of Theodore Roosevelt, from childhood to death. It doesn't shirk on the sad parts of his life, namely the death of his first wife Alice, nor the times he failed, like running for president under the Bull Moose family. Each page has a direct quote from Roosevelt in relation to whatever part of his life was on the page, and that was a nice touch. The illustrations are humorous and lovely.

I read this particular book to my seven year old, and he seemed to really like the illustrations too. He was more interested in TR as a child than as president, but the book never seemed to lose his interest entirely. A great biography for younger readers, 1st graders and older. I'd say a bit long for anyone younger than that, though even younger readers will enjoy looking at the larger than life pictures.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all things Teddy Roosevelt he is by far my favorite US President. Doreen Rappaport through quotes by Teddy and her own text paints a larger than life portrait. Roosevelt was responsible for reigning in business so that the little guys had an equal opportunity at the American Dream, he cleaned up the meat packing industry, he created our National Parks system, and he started the end of child labor. These were just a few of his many accomplishments and what he gave to the future of this great nation. Illustrator C.F. Payne leaves with images that allow you to feel the energy and enthusiasm of this remarkable man of the people.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just enough here (although my older brain wished for a bit more) to introduce young children to the mighty Theodore Roosevelt!

It is very well done! The illustrations are spot on, and the text is even better. The smaller font tells the story, while the words in bigger type are direct quotes from Mr. Roosevelt, himself.

Some of the quotes that made an impact to this reader:

"We are not building this country for a day. It is to last through the ages."

"Our aim is to control business, not strangle it."

"Indeed I think I should go mad if I were not employed."

"There is no greater issue than that of conservation in this country."

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations, mixing between vast landscape pieces, zoomed in action-scenes (the Roosevelt children playing in the White House is particularly hilarious) and symbolic pictures echoing early political cartoons. Frankly, the illustrations carry this book. The text includes lots of simplified quotes from Roosevelt, and covers his life from a small child to his death. I have to admit, this book taught me things I didn't know about him, and made me appreciate him more, considering he's one of my least favorite presidents. Great children's biography, and the end materials include both a timeline, selected resources, and "further research," which is helpful for kids writing reports.

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the opportunity to introduce Theodore Roosevelt to kids each year within our curriculum. He's a figure in history who instantly grabs their attention, and in hearing his true tales, they become fascinated! It's one of my favorite topics that are thrust upon us due to our reading/writing curriculum, and it's important to find some other texts to accompany the one we focus on as an anchor. This is a fantastic book to go along with our work. It's presented in nice, full page illustrations, and the content is much easily presented to young students in comparison to the biography we read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister kindly checked this out from the library for me because she knows of my obsession with and undying love for Theodore Roosevelt. Full of great quotes from the man himself with their context explained. The illustrations depicting scenes from his life are beautiful, and though the heads of each figure are disproportionately large it's somewhat endearing and expresses TR's larger than life character. I think it's a great introduction for elementary school children (ages 8-11) but is nice for grown-ups to enjoy as well.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing how much information is conveyed in so few lines with vivid full page illustrations. Doreen Rappaport's picture-book-formatted biography covers Theodore Roosevelt's life from birth to death, and incorporates numerous quotes by him. The illustrations by C.F. Payne seem to be larger than life, just like Teddy Roosevelt was. This could be used as an introduction in classes from third grade on up. It may entice readers to try more in-depth biographies of Theodore Roosevelt. It is a beautiful package.

[Elizabeth Keisling]

This book would be used in a 3rd grade social studies class. In this book they learn about the President of the United States, and the effect Theodore Roosevelt had on our National Parks and the Midwest.

As a twin text I would read My Name is Not Alexander by Jennifer Fosberry. This book would also tie in with the social studies lesson because we can see other famous men and their roles in changing the United States.

Fosberry, J., & Litwin, M. (2011). My name is not Alexander. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being in college now, it has been a while since I read much about Theodore Roosevelt. Thanks to my Children's Literature class, I wanted to find a historical fiction book to read, and found this story about Teddy. Filled with interesting facts and an incedible story, I got to once again read about the resilient, strong nature of Theodore Roosevelt.
Not only is the book interesting, but the illustrations are very well done, and bring life to a figure from another time. I really enjoyed learning more about Teddy's life and accomplishments through Rappaport's book.

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child “Teedie”, Teddy Roosevelt, had asthma and was sickly. He collected animal and bird specimens, as well as live animals that appeared in unpredictable places throughout the Roosevelt home. While at Harvard he kept a giant tortoise in his room. President Teddy went on to sign a treaty to build the Panama Canal and became the first American to Win the Nobel Peace Prize. Fantastic illustrations! Reviewer 27

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other Doreen Rappaport biographies, this one hits all the right marks. Simply and clearly told, the book strips the story down to its essentials while keeping the vivacity. The illustrations by C.F. Payne in soft natural hues are bold in composition. Quotes by Teddy Roosevelt are in a large font, which flavors this book with authenticity while the text fills in the back story. Great intro for elementary school ages into the life of Teddy Roosevelt and America in the early 1900s.