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George Washington
Recommended
The American Library Association
Child Study Association
National Council of Teachers of Social Studies
"He was born in a little red brick house that his father had built on the oyster-shell hill. By that time so much land had been cleared that the wilderness was far in the distance."
So begins the simple and inauspicious life of George Washington, a backwoods Virginia boy destined to become the Father of His Country. Meticulously researched, the d'Aulaires hiked and camped all over Virginia as they imbibed the spirit of this great man.
The story follows his growth from young boy to surveyor, to soldier in the French and Indian War where he became a war hero. Then George courted Martha Custis and after their marriage they built a plantation at Mount Vernon. Then we see Washington lead his troops through the dark and hungry days of the Revolution. By exhibiting courage and integrity he inspired the same in his men. Beautiful stone lithograph illustrations bring the story to life for readers young and old.
The American Library Association
Child Study Association
National Council of Teachers of Social Studies
"He was born in a little red brick house that his father had built on the oyster-shell hill. By that time so much land had been cleared that the wilderness was far in the distance."
So begins the simple and inauspicious life of George Washington, a backwoods Virginia boy destined to become the Father of His Country. Meticulously researched, the d'Aulaires hiked and camped all over Virginia as they imbibed the spirit of this great man.
The story follows his growth from young boy to surveyor, to soldier in the French and Indian War where he became a war hero. Then George courted Martha Custis and after their marriage they built a plantation at Mount Vernon. Then we see Washington lead his troops through the dark and hungry days of the Revolution. By exhibiting courage and integrity he inspired the same in his men. Beautiful stone lithograph illustrations bring the story to life for readers young and old.
61 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
15 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
Ingri d'Aulaire
47 books166 followersIngri d'Aulaire (1904-1980) was an American children's artist and illustrator, who worked in collaboration with her husband and fellow artist, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. Born Ingri Mortenson in Kongsburg, Norway, she studied art in Norway, Germany and France, and met Edgar Parin d'Aulaire when she was a student in Munich. They married in 1925, and immigrated to the USA shortly thereafter, settling in Brooklyn in 1929. After pursuing separate careers initially, the couple turned to illustrating children's books together, releasing their first collaborative effort, The Magic Rug, in 1931. They settled in Wilton, Connecticut in 1941, and lived there until their deaths in the 1980s. Awarded the 1940 Caldecott Medal for their picture-book biography of Abraham Lincoln, the d'Aulaires published other children's biographies, as well as some notable works on Greek and Norse mythology. (source: Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 10, 2024
Great illustrations and a great child appropriate account of his life. This was a read-aloud and the boys loved it! Lots of good conversations came out of this book.
2022: A great re-read, my second child enjoyed it as much as the first.
2024: Youngest loved all the animals throughout the book.
2022: A great re-read, my second child enjoyed it as much as the first.
2024: Youngest loved all the animals throughout the book.
October 5, 2023
I’ve seen criticism of this book for its portrayal of Washington’s slaves as bright smiling faces in the background of the illustrations. This did strike a jarring note for me. I appreciated the publisher’s note at the back, detailing some of the complications in considering Washington and slavery, as well as his final resolve against it.
As sinful people living in a world that groans with eager longing for redemption, we know that there is only one Hero who is without flaw — seeing the flaws in our brightest and best from history can only drive us to long for Christ’s return and to rejoice in His victory.
However, to allow this issue to entirely ruin our appreciation of a truly remarkable man and leader poorly serves us. This book introduced Washington to my boys and opened the door for fruitful discussions. I’m not sorry to have read it.
As sinful people living in a world that groans with eager longing for redemption, we know that there is only one Hero who is without flaw — seeing the flaws in our brightest and best from history can only drive us to long for Christ’s return and to rejoice in His victory.
However, to allow this issue to entirely ruin our appreciation of a truly remarkable man and leader poorly serves us. This book introduced Washington to my boys and opened the door for fruitful discussions. I’m not sorry to have read it.
January 12, 2012
This book came highly recommended by a homeschooling website, so I was looking forward to reading it with my children as part of our history curriculum. The text gave an interesting and unique narrative of George Washington's life, but the illustrations were quite offensive. In the depiction of Washington's wedding, the reader looks through the window of the estate to see the newlyweds dancing, while outside the black children gaze longingly at the scene. Martha's son winks at them from inside. On the next page the text states, "George Washington was everywhere, and his hundreds of slaves and servants kept everything spick and span and in beautiful order." The accompanying illustration shows the wealthy Washington and his family dressed in their finery and ambling happily along in front of a golden field of wheat. The field is peppered with the ambiguous forms of slaves, shirtless and without faces.
I realize that this book was written in the 1930's and that Washington had slaves. I am not trying to argue that this fact should not be acknowledged, but the matter is presented in a very insensitive and Anglo-centric fashion. This may have been accepted in the 30's, but I think modern parents and teachers can do better.
I realize that this book was written in the 1930's and that Washington had slaves. I am not trying to argue that this fact should not be acknowledged, but the matter is presented in a very insensitive and Anglo-centric fashion. This may have been accepted in the 30's, but I think modern parents and teachers can do better.
January 3, 2014
I read this to my eight-year-old today, and probably years ago once or twice as well.
The illustrations are pretty, and the story goes by quickly without boring anyone.
There was one blatantly bizarre mention of Washington's slaves beaming with happiness to see him return after the war, and an illustration of, well, stereotypical Indians, legs askew and feathers in their caps. I was able to edit the text as I read aloud and we talked about the illustrations.
No one brought up the cherry tree, but there was a mention of the jacket riddled with holes.
I don't know if I want to like this book. I don't really understand why it is so appealing to kids, but I can't deny that something about it is. Something about it breathes. I wish I could clean it up a little and just live with it.
Anyway, my kid and I had a great conversation about basically every page's contents, so reading it took a couple of hours, but the kid sat interested through that whole time. For that reason it rates an "I liked it," misgivings, editing-on-the-fly, and all.
The illustrations are pretty, and the story goes by quickly without boring anyone.
There was one blatantly bizarre mention of Washington's slaves beaming with happiness to see him return after the war, and an illustration of, well, stereotypical Indians, legs askew and feathers in their caps. I was able to edit the text as I read aloud and we talked about the illustrations.
No one brought up the cherry tree, but there was a mention of the jacket riddled with holes.
I don't know if I want to like this book. I don't really understand why it is so appealing to kids, but I can't deny that something about it is. Something about it breathes. I wish I could clean it up a little and just live with it.
Anyway, my kid and I had a great conversation about basically every page's contents, so reading it took a couple of hours, but the kid sat interested through that whole time. For that reason it rates an "I liked it," misgivings, editing-on-the-fly, and all.
November 28, 2017
This is a classic children's biography that I read aloud to the children. In this one, d'Aulaire examines the life of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America. Unlike their book on Benjamin Franklin, this book was not as idea-driven, and I felt like it focused on the basics of history. . . I also read Pocahontas to the children in August, and was enchanted by the illustrations and the picture of Pocahontas and her bravery, so after reading Pocahontas and Benjamin Franklin, I felt like the straightforward history of George Washington was a little bit of a letdown.
However, this was a read-aloud to the children, so here are their perspectives:
Ellie (6): Fell asleep. She had had a weird morning and wasn't feeling her best, so she took a much needed nap during this book. Still, I should note that it didn't hold her attention.
Connor (7): It was good, and I like how George Washington learned to rise a horse, and how he led his people and became the president 4/5
Emalee (10): It was a good history review. I've already studied George Washington, so I knew most of it. 4/5
Bennett (12): I really liked it, especially who he was so very strong. I also didn't know that he had worked as a surveyor. He was very logical. He became our first president, and perhaps one of our best known presidents.
Despite the fact that I felt like this one was a little bit of a letdown, I intend to read the children their book of Buffalo Bill before the end of the year or early in January. I enjoy their richly illustrated books and appreciate the interest that the children usually take in their books.
However, this was a read-aloud to the children, so here are their perspectives:
Ellie (6): Fell asleep. She had had a weird morning and wasn't feeling her best, so she took a much needed nap during this book. Still, I should note that it didn't hold her attention.
Connor (7): It was good, and I like how George Washington learned to rise a horse, and how he led his people and became the president 4/5
Emalee (10): It was a good history review. I've already studied George Washington, so I knew most of it. 4/5
Bennett (12): I really liked it, especially who he was so very strong. I also didn't know that he had worked as a surveyor. He was very logical. He became our first president, and perhaps one of our best known presidents.
Despite the fact that I felt like this one was a little bit of a letdown, I intend to read the children their book of Buffalo Bill before the end of the year or early in January. I enjoy their richly illustrated books and appreciate the interest that the children usually take in their books.
November 30, 2016
1) Book summary, in your own words (3 pts)
This book talks about George Washington, "the father of our country." It tells the story of how it all started. George Washington was the very first President of The United States. This book informs readers the trials ad great accomplishments he went through to get there.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
2nd/3rd grade
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
classroom library/social studies
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
student interested in how The United States became
5) Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
read aloud
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
none
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
none
This book talks about George Washington, "the father of our country." It tells the story of how it all started. George Washington was the very first President of The United States. This book informs readers the trials ad great accomplishments he went through to get there.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
2nd/3rd grade
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
classroom library/social studies
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
student interested in how The United States became
5) Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
read aloud
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
none
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
none
February 23, 2022
2/22/22 Reread on his 290th birthday!
2/22/21 Read this classic in honor of George Washington's 289th birthday!
2/22/21 Read this classic in honor of George Washington's 289th birthday!
January 13, 2024
I was going to give this two stars as it doesn’t paint the whole picture but the end blurb was kinda of cool. I like to think the best of George Washington our first president but he was also a flawed human just like anyone else.
August 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It is very accurate to George Washington’s life, and shows how great our first president was.
I really recommend this book to kids.
I really recommend this book to kids.
August 26, 2025
I like this book because it shows that George Washington was a brave man. And I think that everyone can read it.🫠
February 3, 2020
I have fond memories of d'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths from decades ago. Somehow, I did not know or think to see if they had authored other books! What a happy accident to find this book! The illustrations alternate between black & white and color. Each spread of pages has text on the left, with a drawing above, and a full page illustration on the right page. This book provided a perfect introduction to George Washington for young readers. I am happy to have found this book, and will definitely be looking to add their other books to my personal library.
October 21, 2015
Review first published on My Blog.
Another short but well done history of George Washington. Again, this had good information from birth to death along with the beautiful illustrations that the d'Aulaires are known for. I have seen some reviews that make note of how slavery is dealt with (there is a picture of George riding his horse around the fields filled with happy, smiling slaves as well as other written references to of this sort). Instead of shying away from this, which was a prevalent attitude of the time this was written, I used it to open up discussion of the realities of slavery with my 4th grader and how it has taken a long time for people to even begin to start understanding just how truly evil it is and how it's still impacting our society today.
Another short but well done history of George Washington. Again, this had good information from birth to death along with the beautiful illustrations that the d'Aulaires are known for. I have seen some reviews that make note of how slavery is dealt with (there is a picture of George riding his horse around the fields filled with happy, smiling slaves as well as other written references to of this sort). Instead of shying away from this, which was a prevalent attitude of the time this was written, I used it to open up discussion of the realities of slavery with my 4th grader and how it has taken a long time for people to even begin to start understanding just how truly evil it is and how it's still impacting our society today.
August 6, 2016
George Washington was more than just the first president of the United States, he was an empowering leader to many people. This book is a biography about George Washington and his establishment throughout life. This book can be used in grade 2, 3, and 4. It is appropriate for these grade levels and George Washington is a leader that people still talk about today. The book contains colorful pictures that intrigue elementary school students and maintain their attention. This book could be used for a paper or research project on an American leader. The student can locate all information and be able to understand easily.
April 23, 2013
“George Washington,” is a non-fiction biography about the 1st American President. The book’s pages are designed like web pages, which should be comforting to students today. While the book wasn’t exactly exciting, it would however provide a fantastic resource for students ranging from 2nd grade to 8th grade in my opinion. The book is filled with tons of facts, and colorful historic photo depictions of several of George Washington’s triumphs. Clearly I would recommend this book to anyone needed data for a book report, or someone who is just curious about George Washington.
February 2, 2015
This book is great introduction to a great man, an irreplaceable man. As important as all the framers of the United States were, as important as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are, when the principles of freedom were defined and the plans complete someone still had to make it happen. George Washington was that man. But the leader of the push for independence and freedom also owned slaves. This book does not shy away from this point. There is much to learn and much to discuss in this book. The d'Aulaire's were a great team, they produced many well researched books.
December 15, 2017
I read this to my 7&5 year old daughters as part of the Charlotte Mason - Ambleside Online curriculum and we loved it!!! The pictures were beautiful, the book is paced well for younger or older children. The historical content was both factual and interesting - I myself learned a good deal from this book (I grew up hating history). I highly recommend this for anyone in classical conversations - cycle 3 especially!!!
December 6, 2017
A wonderful book highlighting George Washington’s accomplishments and leadership which led to the independence of this great country. This book is beautifully illustrated and to the point.
I read this book to my 3 children (11, 10, 8) as additional reading as we study early American history. This book highlights George Washington’s moral integrity and hard work along with his remarkable leadership which led him to be appointed as our first president.
I read this book to my 3 children (11, 10, 8) as additional reading as we study early American history. This book highlights George Washington’s moral integrity and hard work along with his remarkable leadership which led him to be appointed as our first president.
June 12, 2010
My kids were enthralled with this. At one point someone commented, "George Washington moved around a lot just like us!" They were able to identify with some of his earlier life.
The illustrations were lovely and the text easy to understand. It was a great introduction for the younger kids. My older boys will need more but this was a fantastic start.
Highly recommended.
The illustrations were lovely and the text easy to understand. It was a great introduction for the younger kids. My older boys will need more but this was a fantastic start.
Highly recommended.
February 18, 2012
A really lovely childhood introduction to George Washington. Beautiful illustrations make this a treat for the eyes, and the text does a good job of not making Washington inhuman, while emphasizing his strong qualities. There is also a note at the end about making sense of a man who believed in person freedom but still owned slaves.
June 19, 2017
The boys and I have really enjoyed these biographies by the d'Aulaires as part of the Beautiful Feet Early American History curriculum. My only quibble with this one is the portrayal of Washington's slaves as happy and adoring. Maybe they did respect him but let's not pretend they weren't oppressed and adored their position as slaves.
April 13, 2018
Another beloved d'Aulaire classic that my kids adored. They are scheming going to Mount Vernon and Yorktown for our next vacation. I love how these books make historical figures come alive for us. There were one comment in this one (regarding slavery) that made me think "hmmmm", but I still these books are well done and well worth reading.
March 26, 2019
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to teach a kid about our first president and his role in the American Revolution. I give it a 4/5 stars because every other picture on the page was colored and then it would switch to black and white, this distracted my nephew.
Lexile level: 920L.
DRA: 60
Traits: Ideas, word choice.
Lexile level: 920L.
DRA: 60
Traits: Ideas, word choice.
January 15, 2009
The pictures were very nice (as always in the D'Aulaire books). This history of George Washington's was not quite as captivating as some of the other biographies by these authors, but it still gave us a nice glimpse into his life. He was a great man indeed!
October 1, 2014
Another excellent installment of the D'Aulaire biography series.
The narrative covers from Washington's childhood through his post-Presidency retirement.
It doesn't get better than this. Highly recommended.
The narrative covers from Washington's childhood through his post-Presidency retirement.
It doesn't get better than this. Highly recommended.
April 30, 2016
I love the artwork in all the D'Aulaire books, and this one was no exception. The biography covered Washington's life and taught me something I don't remember knowing before, that he was a surveyor of land as a first career. Not outstanding, but a solid read.
August 16, 2017
I really enjoy the D'Aulaire's books, especially to teach history to a broad range of ages (in our case age 3-11). The illustrations are wonderful, and we especially enjoy learning history by focusing on individual historical figures.
May 1, 2008
This one is a biography of George Washington, written and colorfully illustrated for children. It's short, easy to read and has lots of pictures. If that's not waiting room material, what is?
October 29, 2008
These are great books. They are a good supplement to our American History this year.
November 25, 2009
Another great d'Aulaire!! I think he liked this one even more than Columbus and wants to memorize all the Presidents :)
April 13, 2010
Not our favorite of the series, but still a good peek into the life of our first president.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews