George Washington: A Picture Book Biography

by James Cross Giblin, Michael Dooling (Illustrator)

Now available in paperback, James Cross Giblin and Michael Dooling bring the story of the first president to life for a new generation of readers.

George Washington, beloved "Father of His Country," left behind no children of his own. Instead he left a nation to which he's dedicated life. Here is his story.

Beginning with his childhood in a large, close-nit family on a Virginia farm, we follow him through his life. There is a tragedy with the death of his father, then his adored half-brother. After he grew up, George joined the Virginia militia and fought bravely in the wild Ohio country. Returning to Mount Vernon, he met and married the widow Martha Custis. But soon there came a new call to duty.

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

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

James Cross Giblin was an American children's author and editor, known for his award-winning works. He won the Golden Kite Award and the Sibert Medal for his contributions to children's literature. Giblin was born in Cleveland and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Western Reserve University and earned a master's in playwriting from Columbia University. After a brief acting career, he entered publishing, founding Clarion Books, a children's imprint later acquired by Houghton Mifflin. At Clarion, he edited works by notable authors like Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn. Giblin’s works include The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler and Good Brother, Bad Brother.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful historical picture book that shouldn't be missed! With it's expressive narrative and life-like illustrations, this would make a great edition to the curriculum of younger students learning about Washington.

Ages: 4 - 10

Cleanliness: Bl**dy is used to describe lots of blood. Tobacco is mentioned.

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[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle introduction to our first president; my 5 year old son identified the guy in this picture book with the same guy on the $1 dollar bill. It is a start.

[Ace Giannonatti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great children's picture book with a lot of information about the first president of the United States. The readers learn a little about George Washington's childhood up to his death. This biography show its readers how he got the title of the president and how he help fight for the freedom of the United States. Overall I say this is a great informational read and would recommend it to anyone wanting some information about the president.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

A worthwhile intro to GW. Unless a young reader is highly motivated, an adult should read it with the child.

p 15
Every well-to-do farmer in Virginia owned slaves then. With the help of his slaves, George raised crops of tobacco, wheat, and Indian corn.

'help' is a weak word to use in that sentence

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations were nice. Also George Washington may not have be able to tell a lie, but his author sure could.

[Chappyfamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic way to introduce children to the Father of the United States.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for children, giving them an accurate overview of the life of George Washington. Well-illustrated. I would give this 4 1/2 stars if I could.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Washington: A Picture Book Biography is a children's picture book written by James Cross Giblin and illustrated by Michael Dooling. It is a cursory biography of George Washington, his life before being the first President of the United States and how circumstance pointed him toward that goal. Today is Washington's Birthday – at least my American quarter is celebrating it.

George Washington was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and served as the nation's first President (1789–1797). In the American Revolutionary War, he commanded Patriot forces to victory against the British and their allies. He presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the new federal government, and he has been called the "Father of His Country".

Giblin's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. It begins, like most stories, with is childhood in a large, close-knit family on a Virginia farm and follows his life through triumphs and losses to make him the man that would be the first President of a new country. Dooling's illustrations are drawn rather well and depicted the narrative rather nicely in an unusual medium – oils.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It depicts a simplified yet well-rounded portrait of Washington and offers considerable insight into the private man. During his early years on a Virginia farm, Washington was devoted to his half-brother, Lawrence, who went on to own Mount Vernon. After Lawrence's death, Washington married Martha Custis and farmed the Mount Vernon land until he was appointed Commander in Chiefs of the country's armed forces.

All in all, George Washington: A Picture Book Biography celebrates the early life of the very first President of a young and new country.

[Quincy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great informational book for students to learn more about George Washington's life. The illustrations are especially beautiful, and it creates a full picture of who Washington was by describing the different parts of his life. The book introduces him as a boy, tells about his job as a surveyor, shares about his marriage and family, tells how he came to be Commander in Chief of the armed forces, and describes how he became our nation's first president. I especially appreciated how the author wrote about Washington's thoughts and reactions, such as his children's death and his reluctance to become president. These insights would make it easier for students to relate to him as a real person and understand some of the real complexities surrounding certain events. The book naturally intertwines events occurring during his lifetime. It would be an excellent opportunity to discuss the reasons for the Revolutionary War, the specific events of the war, and how the office of the president was established.

The book has additional information in the back, including a timeline of important events, a map of the thirteen colonies, and information about current monuments that have been erected in Washington's honor. These extras would be good sources for students to do additional studying and discovering. I think it would be helpful to pair this book with another text about George Washington so students can analyze the way each author portrays him and his life.

I would recommend using this book with 2nd and 3rd graders, however, it could potentially be adapted to use with 1st or even 4th graders, depending on the purpose.

[Anthony Morello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book biography on George Washington for young students goes through his life events. Beginning with his childhood, Washington is an athletic and studious youngster in Virginia, who first gets called to the French-Indian War as a British major. The story progresses into the American Revolutionary War and the rising depiction of Washington as an American hero. After the War, Washington intends to retire to Mount Vernon, but is called to duty as the first President of the United States. The book details some of the struggles that Washington had throughout his life such as the deaths of family members and his painful death in the conclusion.

This picture book biography gives enough good information in a narrative form for young students. The text goes over important events in details understandable for elementary students and gives a full scope of his life. I wish it had gone into more details of his role during the American Revolutionary War and less details about his childhood, but I think it was appropriate to it's intended audience. The illustrations are done in oil paint on canvas, and are really incredible! My favorite illustration is of Washington crossing the Delaware River done in a half spread. Overall I would recommend this for younger students learning history and studying biographies, but older students will definitely need more detailed writing.

[Shannon Stinnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book provided a complete and thorough retelling of the life of George Washington. I think it is appropriate for readers in grades 2-4. I think it would be a bit lengthy for my first graders to sit through. I could certainly modify it for them though! This particular book provides information about his childhood, his marriage and stepchildren, his work as a surveyor, his role as the Commander in Chief, and of course his role as our first president. We learn about his love for his home Mount Vernon and his wishes for his slaves to be freed once he and Martha died. The back of the book provides a map of the United States dated 1797, important dates in Washington's life, the fabled story of George and the cherry tree, the monument that is dedicated to Washington and we learn more about Mount Vernon. This book provides detailed illustrations that will appeal to young readers. I think I would use this book grades 2-4 when teaching about biographies or when teaching about our presidents.

[Colleen Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a good book to have when learning about the presidents and history because it has so many important facts about george washington. It tells the story of his life in a way kids would be interested. It is a biography book on him, but it has great illustrations and information about George Washington.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, solid biography on Washington. The illustrations were lovely and the text interesting. My older boys enjoyed it and it held the attention of the younger boys. Well worth seeking out.

[Rose]

92 Was

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is meant for little kids. Not really informative, if you have read any other book on Washington.

[Johannes Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Own.

[Colleen]

Freedom's Trail - unit 4
Nonfiction

[Brittnay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of George Washington... detailed accounts of his role in The French/Indian War and the American Revolution.

[Deborah Harris]

RL 4.25

AR Quiz No. 11764 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 4.5 - AR Pts: 1.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP