The Flag Maker

by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Claire A. Nivola (Illustrator)

Here in lyrical prose is the story of the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the national anthem of the United States. This flag, which came to be known as the Star-Spangled Banner, also inspired author Susan Campbell Bartoletti, who, upon seeing it at the Smithsonian Institution, became curious about the hands that had sewn it.
Here is her story of the early days of this flag as seen through the eyes of young Caroline Pickersgill, the daughter of an important flag maker, Mary Pickersgill, and the granddaughter of a flag maker for General George Washington’s Continental Army. It is also a story about how a symbol motivates action and emotion, brings people together, and inspires courage and hope.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2004

About the author

Susan Campbell Bartoletti is an American writer of children's literature. She was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but eventually the family ended up in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Susan started as an English teacher and inspired many students before deciding to pursue writing in earnest. She sold her first short story in 1989. Three years later in 1992 she published her first picture book, Silver at Night. She held a rigid routine, awaking early in the morning in order to write before she left to teach. In 1997 she turned to writing full time. Susan has since returned to inspiring future writers. She teaches writing classes at a number of MA and MFA programs, among them Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Additionally she leads workshops offered through the Highlights Foundation.

Reviews

[Inhabiting Books]

The story of the flag that came to be known as The Star-Spangled banner, told from the perspective of the flag maker's daughter.

The prose is poetic. Ms. Bartoletti inserts snippets of phrases from Francis Scott Key's poem into the text, and it was fun to watch my girls make that connection as we read. Here is an example from the book:

"Evening came.
The sky darkened with storm.
Rain fell.
Soon thunder and lightening joined the cannon and rockets.
Ships and fort and sky boomed and flashed together.
Each time the sky lit up, Caroline saw that her flag was still there.
At midnight, the bombing stopped.
One minute.
Ten minutes.
An hour, and all was still."

Included at the end is an author's note, which my children insisted on reading. (I've trained them well.) She lists some excellent sources that we will be taking advatage of to learn more about the subject. The author tells at the back of her book that her inspiration for this story came from seeing the flag displayed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. She says, "Awestruck, I wondered whose hands had sewn such an enormous flag. When I learned that a thirteen-year-old girl named Caroline Pickersgill had helped her mother, Mary, sew the flag, I wanted to tell their story." And she has, beautifully.

I love the illustrations by Claire A. Nivola. I think they fit the story perfectly. They remind me of early American sewing samplers.

This book was a definite hit with my three girls and it was a treat to read aloud. Even my three-year old listened intently to the story, and pointed out various things in the illustrations. We liked it so much we purchased it for our own library.

Educational Themes: War of 1812, Battle of Baltimore (1814), Star-Spangled Banner, America's History, Stories about real people

[Karissa Kelly]

The Flag Maker is a book on the making of the American Flag at Fort McHenry. Caroline Pickersgill and her mother began cutting, sewing, and stitching the biggest flag they had ever made. America was fighting against the British, and the country needed a symbol representing hope and pride; the American Flag was that symbol. However, America was loosing, but Caroline looked at her flag flying over Fort McHenry and knew they stood a chance. Not long after, on an August morning, a horse and his rider flew down Baltimore streets yelling that the British were coming! That meant invasion, and Baltimore prepared for war. Then one night, the British attacked, and the Americans fought back. Caroline fell asleep watching from her window, but when morning came she looked for her flag. Tired yet still high on its post, Caroline saw her flag hanging with hope and pride.

I really liked this book. I thought it was interesting to hear about Caroline and her mother's story, and what Baltimore went through at Fort McHenry. I also enjoyed reading the cover flaps because it gave some background on Caroline and even the author, Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Her writing was very easy to understand, and I loved her illustrations; they looked so real.

Overall, I definitely recommend reading this book. It a wonderful reading on our nation's history, and I think students, especially girls, would enjoy reading this book. The Flag Maker also teaches that war is brutal, yet good things like hope, pride, and courage can come from it.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot Summary:
Tells the story of Caroline Pickersgill and her mother, who sewed the Star-Spangled Banner which flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. It tells how Caroline’s mother, Mary, was asked to sew the huge flag for the fort, how the people of Baltimore sat on their rooftops watching the battle, and the British defeat there in 1814.
Personal Evaluation:
The story is written in narrative format, which makes it easy to understand. Some of the vocabulary used in the story would need to be explained (privateers, ale, ramparts). The story would appeal to girls (with strong female characters) and to boys (with guns, battle, & soldiers), making it a great choice for younger students learning about America’s history.
Memorable Literary Element:
Since this nonfiction book is written in narrative format, the Author’s Notes at the end of the book provide much-needed historical detail to support the narrative. The author also provides her sources, so that one could follow up with continued research on the topic.
Illustrations:
I really like how the illustrations are colorful and simple, and give an excellent depiction of life during that time period. They are created with watercolors that give the illustrations a soft touch. There are several “wide-shot” illustrations, depicting the whole town, or a street view that give children lots of details to look at and ponder over.

[Q_Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done story about the creation of the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the U.S. national anthem of the Star Spangled Banner. During the war, in 1812, a widow who owned a flag shop in Baltimore was asked by the U.S. military officers to create a flag for the fort guarding the town so large that the British could see it. The fictionalized story of a true event is told by Caroline Pickersgill, the real life daughter of the famous flag maker, Mary Pickersgill. It tells the story how women sewed it, its size, etc. and how Caroline would look out her window to see it. As the British attempt to capture the town, both sides mount a fight. Key was detained on a British ship while the fighting was going on and penned the poem that became the anthem. The author was inspired after seeing the flag at the Smithsonian. It is told in a simple style, with great author's notes and flag facts. The illustrator is Claire A. Nivola, who has a distinct style of combining details within larger pictures. She was the author and illustrator of "Planting the Trees of Kenya" and the same style is evident in both. This could be used in any curriculum about this period of history, the roles of flags in the past, present, the changes, etc.

[Hannah Kauper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about the flag maker who created the American flag. It takes the prospective of a little girl helping her mother. They make the biggest flag they have ever made, spending day and night working on all the white stars and red stripes. Then they see it fly high and admire the great work they have done and the men who came to them. Then she watches as the men fight for freedom under the great flag she had created. She stays up all night waiting to see the flag still flying, and once she wakes she finds that the stripes and stars are still flying high.

This is a cool way to explain some main events in American history. I would probably read this to my class around fourth of July and then have them talk about it with one another and me. I would ask them what they thought and what was really happening in the story. It would be cool to make our own flag after reading this story have while they do it read other stories about American history. I thought this was a cool prospective of a great historical event and enjoyed reading it.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a family of flag makers, this non-fiction book tells the story through the eyes of thirteen year old Caroline. Caroline and her Mother, Mary Pickersgill, along with the help of cousins and others, sewed the flag that flew over Fort McHenry after the British battle of Baltimore and inspired Francis Scott Keys song, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The author was so inspired by this flag which she saw on display at the Smithsonian in Washington DC that she wrote this book.

For a complete list of good books with a sewing/quilting theme, see this post:
http://xoxograndma.blogspot.com/2015/...

[Ashlynn Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about the making of the American flag. It told how Caroline and her mother and so many others worked for weeks to make sure this flag was perfect and they hung it at Fort McKinley. After the attack from the British there one night it was still waving there. This is how we got our national anthem.

This book was really interesting because I don't recall ever really hearing about the process of how making the American flag occurred as much as I was taught about Francis Scott Key writing the national anthem. It was interesting getting a different perspective.

This book would be good to show children another perspective on how our national anthem came to be what it is today.

[Joy]

This book is about a young girl who helped her mom make flags during the Revolutionary War. One day they are asked to make a huge flag so it can be seen by the British ships from miles away. It takes them awhile to get it done, but when it is, the flag is bigger than the size of the room. There are battles fairly often, but every time the young girl looks out her window, the flag is still flying high in the wind.

I liked this book. I think it was also telling the story of the star spangled banner song as the national anthem.

I would use this book in my classroom when we learn about the U.S. flag and the national anthem.

[Yasmin Gomez Geng · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story covers the construction of the American Flag as it was made for Fort McHenry. It is written in the viewpoint of a young girl, Caroline, who helped in the construction of such an important flag.
I love how the author referenced "The Star-Spangled Banner (song)" in the use of certain phrasings in her book. It gave the story a sense of importance and brought it closer to its moment in history.

Grade: 1st Grade to 4th Grade
Topic: American History, Flag History, Star-Spangled Banner, Women in History

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great follow-up to Peter Spier's The Star-Spangled Banner, which I did as a read-aloud with my kids on Memorial Day. I like that the story is told through the eyes of Mary Pickersgill's daughter, Caroline, and that it tells the story of the flag without having to quote Francis Scott Key at all. The artwork is also very appealing, and my three-year-old was completely enamored of the story. I'll want to borrow this again whenever I take my kids to the American History Museum in DC to see the star-spangled banner itself.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative story about an American Flag maker in 1812 who was asked to make a "flag so large the British will have no trouble seeing it from a distance" for Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Not much was known about this flag maker some some parts were written at the authors discretion.

[Leah Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book first starts talking about the need for an American Flag. Then it tells about men who visit a flag shop and order a flag for Fort McHenry. This is the story about that flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words for "The Star-Spangled Banner". It includes interesting information about the flag.

[Heloyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has written a short story of the making of our American flag. She has found a way to remind us that people working together can find strength in the symbols of freedom. Perhaps there is no greater symbol than our Star-Spangled Banner.

[Werereadingandwriting]

I know that they wanted to show that a 13 year old helped make this flag. That was commendable. I also can't help but think of the house servant and slave that contributed to a flag that represented a country where they weren't free.

[Emily Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical book, in story form, all about how the US was at war with Britain, and who created the American flag. Would be great for older elementary students to read.

ATOS Book Level: 3.3
Lexile: 700L

Six+1 Traits: Organization and Sentence Fluency

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely! Touching! Perfect! I cried!!!!

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Colorful illustrations tell the story of the making of the American flag that hung above Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Back of the book contains a bibliography and Flag facts.

[Turrean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful--good nonfiction for American history units, Women's History Month, Flag Day...

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned two things from this book. 1. There is such a profession as a flag maker. 2. The flag, that the star spangled banner is about was hand sewn, and enormous.

[Culleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this to review for inclusion in a classroom kit about the War of 1812. many interesting facts. loved the illustrations

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never thought about who made the flag that inspired The Star Spangled Banner so I found this book so fun and even more so when I realized it was true.

[Taylor]

This book talks about the making of the American Flag. The author also references the "Star-Spangled Banner" which I thought was cool and would be good for students to see.

[Angela Vonschmittou · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good story that lets students understand what it felt like during the American Revolution, but it always bothers me how they gloss over the fact that a slave helped make the flag. I know there’s not a way to go into details about that in the story, but even just an aside like, “because slavery was common in these days even though we now admit how cruel slavery is” would work.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My girls (ages 7 and 5) and I read this for our homeschool. I loved the illustrations. This was a great introduction to the story about how our National Anthem/The Star Spangled Banner came to be. After we finished the book we listened to the National Anthem together, and I heard my oldest humming it all day long. 🥰

[Cala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's picture book about the making of the American flag that stood through a battle and inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. My 5 yo greatly enjoyed it, as did I.

[Bethany Brown]

The Flag Maker by Susan Campbell Bartoletti gives a different perspective of a story that is often learned in history class, the story of the Star Spangled Banner. Caroline Pickersgill and her mother made many flags, and one day, they were asked to make a huge flag. With the help of many people, they were able to create the famous flag flown at Fort McHenry.

I really enjoyed this book. I had never really thought about who had made that particular flag before, but I really like knowing more about it's history.

I would use this book when talking about the Star Spangled Banner because I think it would be cool for students to know about how it was made.

[Suzannah Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Caroline and her mother are recruited for a very special job. They work hard and long, with the help of servants and slaves, to sew the biggest American flag they can. Through battles that last all night, Caroline looks for her flag flying in the distance.

I loved the story crafted around this historical event. The illustrations are simple but beautiful.

I would use this to introduce figures in American revolutionary history. It would be easy to use for a wide range of ages. I highly recommend it.