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America the Beautiful
Wendell Minor is an extraordinarily talented fine artist who has received more than two hundred awards for his work. Authors refer to him as a "quiet genius" who creates with simplicity and elegance, a "master" at capturing the essence of the written word in vivid imagery, of creating brilliant paintings that evoke the true spirit of story and place. He has illustrated hundreds of covers for many of the most popular books of the past few decades.Now, inspired by Katharine Lee Bates's classic verse, Minor gives readers his first picture book-beautiful visual accompaniment for an American standard. Traversing the entire nation, from the Empire State Building to the Grand Tetons, from the Alaskan coast to the Florida Everglades; encompassing multiple eras, from Pilgrims to wagon trains, from the Wright brothers to NASA, Minor takes us on a journey across land and time-literally from sea to shining sea.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1895
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359 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Lee Bates
227 books13 followersBest known educator Katharine Lee Bates wrote "America the Beautiful," her poem, in 1895.
People remember Katharine Lee Bates, an author, chiefly for her anthem, many books, and articles on social reform, on which she notably spoke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathari...
People remember Katharine Lee Bates, an author, chiefly for her anthem, many books, and articles on social reform, on which she notably spoke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathari...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
July 2, 2012
Katherine Lee Bates' classic poem (including the two verses not usually sung) set to the gorgeous illustrations of Wendell Minor. He selects several famous and/or beautiful places in America to represent the various lines of the poem, from Half Dome and Yellowstone Falls to a picturesque mailbox in Connecticut to a farm in Kansas. Just gorgeous! The back matter includes a brief biography about Bates and Samuel A. Ward (who wrote the music), a facsimile of one of Bates' hand written manuscripts, as well as a bit of info on each place represented in the illustrations and a map of the USA to set it all in place.
Children who have done a bit of traveling will probably enjoy seeing which of these beautiful places in their country they have already visited. I know I was tickled to see a few places I've been to represented (Heceta Head, Oregon; Half Dome in Yosemite; Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak, Colorado (where Bates got the inspiration for her poem); Cape Canaveral, Florida; Vermont; Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts) and the beautiful illustrations made me long to visit most of the other places, too.
I also thought it was nice that Minor included Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona, home of the Navajo (one is pictured in the illustration). A touching and poignant reminder that many people knew the beauty of these lands before it ever became "America".
Highly recommended!
Children who have done a bit of traveling will probably enjoy seeing which of these beautiful places in their country they have already visited. I know I was tickled to see a few places I've been to represented (Heceta Head, Oregon; Half Dome in Yosemite; Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak, Colorado (where Bates got the inspiration for her poem); Cape Canaveral, Florida; Vermont; Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts) and the beautiful illustrations made me long to visit most of the other places, too.
I also thought it was nice that Minor included Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona, home of the Navajo (one is pictured in the illustration). A touching and poignant reminder that many people knew the beauty of these lands before it ever became "America".
Highly recommended!
August 7, 2012
I’d meant to get a copy of this poem book by a different illustrator. But I’m happy with this edition. I love its story. The illustrator grew up in America and moved to Israel after college. An Israeli friend finally convinced him to take a road trip through America to see the sights. The paintings in this book came from that trip they took together.
I’ve always liked this song, better than our national anthem. The four verses of this poem are shown with their music on the inside covers but only the first verse appears, with illustrations, in the book.
My biggest gripe is that Niagara Falls is shown on the Canadian side, the far more beautiful side, yes, but this is supposed to be a book about America, not Canada.
All the paintings are shown again the last three pages of the book, in large thumbnail view, with their location and a bit about their location. Those locations are: Monument Valley, Niagara Falls, The Great Smoky Mountains, The Great Plains, The Grand Tetons, Napa Valley, The Grand Canyon, The Coastal Redwoods, Mesa Verde, Rainbow Bridge, Mount Rushmore, Oregon Coast, Statue of Liberty, and Pikes Peak, the location that inspired the poet to write this poem in the first place.
I did enjoy the illustrations. I like what is done with color and brushstrokes, and I like the colors used. They’re a good complement to the poem/song.
I’ve always liked this song, better than our national anthem. The four verses of this poem are shown with their music on the inside covers but only the first verse appears, with illustrations, in the book.
My biggest gripe is that Niagara Falls is shown on the Canadian side, the far more beautiful side, yes, but this is supposed to be a book about America, not Canada.
All the paintings are shown again the last three pages of the book, in large thumbnail view, with their location and a bit about their location. Those locations are: Monument Valley, Niagara Falls, The Great Smoky Mountains, The Great Plains, The Grand Tetons, Napa Valley, The Grand Canyon, The Coastal Redwoods, Mesa Verde, Rainbow Bridge, Mount Rushmore, Oregon Coast, Statue of Liberty, and Pikes Peak, the location that inspired the poet to write this poem in the first place.
I did enjoy the illustrations. I like what is done with color and brushstrokes, and I like the colors used. They’re a good complement to the poem/song.
March 8, 2019
America the Beautiful, illustrated by Chris Gall.
Acting on the recommendation of a friend, I recently requested the picture-book presentation of this lovely American song, with accompanying artwork by Wendell Minor, from my local library, only to receive this edition with illustrations by Chris Gall instead. I'm glad the mishap occurred - although I will still be tracking down a copy of the Wendell Minor version - as this is really a lovely book, and a wonderful tribute to one of America's most well-known patriotic songs. Composed as a poem in 1893, and published two years later in the pages of The Congregationalist, a Boston-based church periodical, America the Beautiful is a celebration of the natural beauty of our nation, and of the moral beauty of its history of immigration and struggle for freedom. The words of the song - O beautiful for spacious skies, / For amber waves of grain, / For purple mountains majesties / Above the fruited plain!" - provided the text, and are paired with gorgeous hand engravings that have been digitized and presented in color.
I found it very interesting that the artist here, Chris Gall, was the great-great-grandnephew of poet Katharine Lee Bates, who composed these words, and that he grew up in a home with a heirloom copy of the poem, in Bates' own handwriting, framed on the wall. That hand-written copy provides the inspiration for the decorative endpapers here, while the color engravings, which are really just beautiful, capture the spirit of each verse (or piece of verse) in the piece. I appreciated many of the artistic choices that Gall made, and the diverse peoples and time periods - the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Tuskegee Airmen, the steamship immigrants of the later 19th and early 20th centuries, the firemen who raised the flag in the rubble after 9/11 - he included in his work. I grew up singing this song, and it was a pleasure to be reminded of it. Now I'll have to see how Wendell Minor's visual interpretation of these words matches up!
Acting on the recommendation of a friend, I recently requested the picture-book presentation of this lovely American song, with accompanying artwork by Wendell Minor, from my local library, only to receive this edition with illustrations by Chris Gall instead. I'm glad the mishap occurred - although I will still be tracking down a copy of the Wendell Minor version - as this is really a lovely book, and a wonderful tribute to one of America's most well-known patriotic songs. Composed as a poem in 1893, and published two years later in the pages of The Congregationalist, a Boston-based church periodical, America the Beautiful is a celebration of the natural beauty of our nation, and of the moral beauty of its history of immigration and struggle for freedom. The words of the song - O beautiful for spacious skies, / For amber waves of grain, / For purple mountains majesties / Above the fruited plain!" - provided the text, and are paired with gorgeous hand engravings that have been digitized and presented in color.
I found it very interesting that the artist here, Chris Gall, was the great-great-grandnephew of poet Katharine Lee Bates, who composed these words, and that he grew up in a home with a heirloom copy of the poem, in Bates' own handwriting, framed on the wall. That hand-written copy provides the inspiration for the decorative endpapers here, while the color engravings, which are really just beautiful, capture the spirit of each verse (or piece of verse) in the piece. I appreciated many of the artistic choices that Gall made, and the diverse peoples and time periods - the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Tuskegee Airmen, the steamship immigrants of the later 19th and early 20th centuries, the firemen who raised the flag in the rubble after 9/11 - he included in his work. I grew up singing this song, and it was a pleasure to be reminded of it. Now I'll have to see how Wendell Minor's visual interpretation of these words matches up!
March 8, 2019
America the Beautiful, illustrated by Wendell Minor.
Written in 1893, when Wellesley English professor Katharine Lee Bates was traveling in the western United States, and inspired by a number of the sites she visited - the World Fair in Chicago, the golden prairies of Kansas, the majestic Rockies - the poem America the Beautiful was eventually set to music (composed by Samuel A. Ward) in 1910, and has become one of the most popular patriotic songs in the United States. The text of the poem/song is presented here in this lovely picture-book tribute, with accompanying artwork by Wendell Minor, while an afterword gives further information about Bates, Ward, and the landmarks depicted in the illustrations.
Having enjoyed looking at Chris Gall's visual interpretation of America the Beautiful recently - I had intended to read this version done by Wendell Minor, but somehow accidentally ended up with that edition instead, when requesting it from my library - I was curious to see what I would make of another artist's vision of the same song. All in all, I was greatly impressed! I found Minor's paintings beautiful, and when paired with the little descriptions of each that were offered at the rear, informative as well. There is a light-filled quality to his landscapes that really makes them come alive on the page, while his choice of theme and location - geographically and temporally diverse - was quite pleasing. Highly recommended to anyone looking for the song America the Beautiful in picture-book form.
Written in 1893, when Wellesley English professor Katharine Lee Bates was traveling in the western United States, and inspired by a number of the sites she visited - the World Fair in Chicago, the golden prairies of Kansas, the majestic Rockies - the poem America the Beautiful was eventually set to music (composed by Samuel A. Ward) in 1910, and has become one of the most popular patriotic songs in the United States. The text of the poem/song is presented here in this lovely picture-book tribute, with accompanying artwork by Wendell Minor, while an afterword gives further information about Bates, Ward, and the landmarks depicted in the illustrations.
Having enjoyed looking at Chris Gall's visual interpretation of America the Beautiful recently - I had intended to read this version done by Wendell Minor, but somehow accidentally ended up with that edition instead, when requesting it from my library - I was curious to see what I would make of another artist's vision of the same song. All in all, I was greatly impressed! I found Minor's paintings beautiful, and when paired with the little descriptions of each that were offered at the rear, informative as well. There is a light-filled quality to his landscapes that really makes them come alive on the page, while his choice of theme and location - geographically and temporally diverse - was quite pleasing. Highly recommended to anyone looking for the song America the Beautiful in picture-book form.
April 13, 2020
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Never heard of the poem nor the song, then again not American and not that much interested in such patriotic stuff. But this was a beautiful book and the poem did fit very well with what we saw and we saw plenty! Sure, the poem was a bit too much at times for me. Sorry if I offend someone, but as I said patriotism is just not that for me, and in my country there is just not that much patriotism stuff... I did like the extra information at the end on the woman who wrote it and the composer and also seeing the sheet music and the places we saw in the pictures.
Review to come tomorrow.
Never heard of the poem nor the song, then again not American and not that much interested in such patriotic stuff. But this was a beautiful book and the poem did fit very well with what we saw and we saw plenty! Sure, the poem was a bit too much at times for me. Sorry if I offend someone, but as I said patriotism is just not that for me, and in my country there is just not that much patriotism stuff... I did like the extra information at the end on the woman who wrote it and the composer and also seeing the sheet music and the places we saw in the pictures.
Review to come tomorrow.
July 8, 2013
Ten prominent illustrators have come together to make this patriotic song meaningful to children today. The illustrations bring this 19th century song well into the 21st century, providing a multifaceted, multicultural vision of America. Different people, different beliefs, different dreams are masterfully shared through artwork from artists such as Bryan Collier, Yuyi Morales, Jon J Muth, LeUyen Pham and others.
June 13, 2011
Another great book that teaches the song America the Beautiful.
May 5, 2021
Good book
April 19, 2020
The art in this book is breathtaking. A wonderful read for kids of all ages and adults as well. The artwork combined with the emotionally moving words of the song transports the reader through all parts of this majestic country. This song was once a staple in elementary school across the nation and this book is just the revival of patriotism and pride we could use right now. As a librarian and former homeschooling parent, I particularly enjoyed the educational aspects at the back of the book. Showing the map and locations of the artwork will hopefully allow children to connect on a personal level by seeing places they live or have visited. This is a must-buy for every library in my opinion and maybe for every American household. As Wendell Minor's first picture book, he hit this out of the park for me. I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2019
This is another that I would give ten stars to if I could! The lyrics to the title song are illustrated with absolutely gorgeous pictures of real places around our country. At the end there are smaller copies of each illustration along with a few sentences describing where it is and maybe something special about it, and a map showing each place. Awesome!
January 18, 2021
I love the resources at the back of the book and the sheet music page. Nice!
Read
May 29, 2021The paintings in this book beautifully capture the ethos of our land and nation.
November 1, 2020
Cool that the artist is a nephew of the poem author.
March 14, 2013
America The Beautiful Together We Stand is a beautiful picture book illustrating Katharine Lee Bate's famous song.
Each line of the song is illustrated by a different artist and also includes a presidential quote.
My favorite quote is the one from Ronald Reagan "Our most precious resources, our greatest hope for the future, are the minds and hearts of our people, especially our children." This quote is paired with the line ". . . for purple mountain majesties. . ." and is illustrated by Raul Colon.
My favorite illustration in the book is the one by Sonia Lynn Sadler. It is paired with a quote by Abraham Lincoln and the song verse " . . . above the fruited plain. . ."
Included at the end of the book is information on our national landmarks and symbols, the words to "America The Beautiful", and a bit of biographical information on Katharine Lee Bates.
The illustrations are beautiful! I would love to have them all framed on my walls. I do a lesson with my third grade students on the Caldecott Award. I'm not sure this book would be considered for the award because it has multiple illustrators, but I do plan to use it not only with my Caldecott lessons but lessons on citizenship as well. It is a good resource for a quick lesson on national symbols, too. I will certainly be adding this to the school library collection.
Each line of the song is illustrated by a different artist and also includes a presidential quote.
My favorite quote is the one from Ronald Reagan "Our most precious resources, our greatest hope for the future, are the minds and hearts of our people, especially our children." This quote is paired with the line ". . . for purple mountain majesties. . ." and is illustrated by Raul Colon.
My favorite illustration in the book is the one by Sonia Lynn Sadler. It is paired with a quote by Abraham Lincoln and the song verse " . . . above the fruited plain. . ."
Included at the end of the book is information on our national landmarks and symbols, the words to "America The Beautiful", and a bit of biographical information on Katharine Lee Bates.
The illustrations are beautiful! I would love to have them all framed on my walls. I do a lesson with my third grade students on the Caldecott Award. I'm not sure this book would be considered for the award because it has multiple illustrators, but I do plan to use it not only with my Caldecott lessons but lessons on citizenship as well. It is a good resource for a quick lesson on national symbols, too. I will certainly be adding this to the school library collection.
April 30, 2014
America the Beautiful: Together We Stand captures the beauty of the American folk song. The book’s text incorporates the lyrics from the song and quotes from the country’s presidents. The illustrations are something that sets this book apart from other patriotic picture books. Also, Bates uses a variety of illustrators to do the illustrations in the books. Having a wide variety of styles of illustrations allows for different perspectives to the way we see America and what it represents. The illustrators do a good job not only supporting the lyrics but also the specific quotes used on the pages. The book also offers more reading about the United States, our landmarks, symbols, and government. I really enjoy this book that puts some beautiful visuals to a song. One of my favorite illustrations is the one for “with brotherhood” lyric, where there is a group of young students dressed in sweaters that make the flag. I feel that it does a good job representing the lyrics both literally and metaphorically. I would use this book as a teaching tool about the country and the folksong.
March 5, 2013
This is a large picture book using the beloved lyrics to “America the Beautiful” as the storyline. Quotes from American presidents grace the pages.
The pictures are a collection from various artists with a broad spectrum of art styles. The pictures are as diverse as our nation is.
On the inside of the jacket of this hardcover book are pictures of all 44 of the presidents – George Washington to Barack Obama. Of value, too, is the list of National Landmarks and Symbols pictured with descriptions.
“America the Beautiful” Together We Stand can be used in the school or home setting to instill love of country and patriotism in students. While it is a picture book, the reading level is mid to upper elementary. (rev. V.Godley)
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of “America the Beautiful Together We Stand” was provided by Scholastic Press in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer.
The pictures are a collection from various artists with a broad spectrum of art styles. The pictures are as diverse as our nation is.
On the inside of the jacket of this hardcover book are pictures of all 44 of the presidents – George Washington to Barack Obama. Of value, too, is the list of National Landmarks and Symbols pictured with descriptions.
“America the Beautiful” Together We Stand can be used in the school or home setting to instill love of country and patriotism in students. While it is a picture book, the reading level is mid to upper elementary. (rev. V.Godley)
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy of “America the Beautiful Together We Stand” was provided by Scholastic Press in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer.
March 24, 2013
Ten American artists pay tribute to the beloved patriotic song "America the Beautiful" in this lovely picture book. The distinctive artistic visions of this country are woven into the book through the illustrations of Bryan Collier, Raul Colon, Diane Goode, Mary Grandpre, John Hendrix, Yuyi Morales, Jon J Muth, LeUyen Pham, Sonia Lynn Sadler, and Chris Soentpiet. It's interesting to compare and contrast the images as well as the lyrics that accompany them. Additionally, inspiring presidential quotes from Thomas Jefferson, Barack Obama, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt, among others, are included. Back matter provides additional information about the national symbols, one of which is included on every double-page spread. This picture book reminds readers of what it is we all have in common in this nation.
June 26, 2018
This book is nonfiction therefore it does not deliver a story. But instead, it presents a fact or an event. Every double-page spread encompasses a presidential quote and illustration to support this quote. 10 children’s book illustrators joined this book, and readers could enjoy distinguished artistic illustrations. Each quote is inspiring to not only Americans but also people in other countries. If we keep the values of diversity and liberty like the quotes, many social issues could be resolved. At the same time, I feel that if we are touched and inspired by the quotes, and we think the quotes need to be kept in mind, it could mean that we still live in a world that needs justice and equality. At the end of the book, information is included on the national symbols such as national bird and flower, historical places to honor former presidents, and the spirit of liberty.
October 31, 2013
The main text of the book goes through the song, "America, the Beautiful" line by line. It has wonderful illustrations of patriotism, citizenship, and other values that our country stands on. On the sides of every page, there are also inspiring quotes from both historical and current presidential leaders of America. For upper grades, you could use to teach the meaning of the lyrics, highlights America's values, and review the names of America's great leaders. For lower grades, during the read a loud, you can discuss about the illustrations to review about citizenship, working together, and other important values.
Interest Level: K-2
Grade level equivalent: 4
Lexile Measure: 650L
Guided Reading: R
Genre: Informational
Themes: United States, Presidents, Patriotism, values
Interest Level: K-2
Grade level equivalent: 4
Lexile Measure: 650L
Guided Reading: R
Genre: Informational
Themes: United States, Presidents, Patriotism, values
July 2, 2014
I like the pictures and parts of history the illustrator chose to portray for different lines of this familiar song. I'm looking for patriotic books for preschool storytime--I've never done an America one before. But I may have to pass on this because I'll probably start crying on the 3rd verse. Especially with the inclusion of an illustration for 9/11/01.
7/2/14 I tried this as the opener. It worked well because with some illustrations I had the kids tell me what they saw and asked if they did those things. And with the historical events, I did quick explanations of what occurred. It was great that the last event (and last pages!) was an event that happened in our own state.
7/2/14 I tried this as the opener. It worked well because with some illustrations I had the kids tell me what they saw and asked if they did those things. And with the historical events, I did quick explanations of what occurred. It was great that the last event (and last pages!) was an event that happened in our own state.
March 28, 2013
The pictures in this book are fabulous. They chose a set of fantastic illustrators, and put their pictures to lines from "America the Beautiful." Also on each page, they've got quotations from many of America's presidents.
The result isn't quite usable for storytime. (It would be awkward to work in the quotation, and there's just one line from the song on each spread.) However, it would be a treat to pore over this book with a child. There's lots you could look at again and again.
It's maybe a little over-the-top patriotic. But there are good times for that...
The result isn't quite usable for storytime. (It would be awkward to work in the quotation, and there's just one line from the song on each spread.) However, it would be a treat to pore over this book with a child. There's lots you could look at again and again.
It's maybe a little over-the-top patriotic. But there are good times for that...
January 25, 2013
Ten illustrators have collaborated to put pictures to the words of America the Beautiful. In addition to unique illustrations, each two page layout includes a quote from U.S. President and a national landmark or symbol. This is the kind of book that should be in every classroom library. It's a reminder of the diversity of our country and can serve as a springboard into various discussions about America.
April 29, 2013
Everything about this book was special. The ten American artists and the illustrations they created. The ten chosen quotes from ten different presidents. The four pages of information at the end. As I teacher, the book SCREAMS mini-lessons. Art, history, language arts, social consciousness....I can even use some of these great quotes for handwriting assignments with meaning and verve. I splurged. I wonder whose brainstorm it was to put it together?
January 8, 2013
Ten illustrators collaborate using their unique, distinctive styles to picture one of the most cherished poetic songs in the United States. There is much to discover in this rendering about the mediums used and the choice of subject to illustrate a particular group of words. This title in a word is...stunning.
My full review:http://bit.ly/Vx44Ed
My full review:http://bit.ly/Vx44Ed
August 13, 2013
Stunning collection from different illustrators around the country. Each page is a different line from the song "America the Beautiful" and each illustrator has interpreted it in his or her own unique way. I could see giving students a poem, assigning them a line and having them illustrate their interpretation of that line.
February 25, 2013
Ten illustrators lend their unique interpretations to the lines of the first verse of America the Beautiful. Diverse groups of children work together and play together and a Presidential quote accompanies each spread. The words to the second and third verses follow along with a double page spread containing a selection of our national symbols and landmarks.
March 13, 2013
This is a beautiful book highlighting Katharine Lee Bates's poem "America the Beautiful," presidential quotes, and artwork by ten amazing illustrators. I love how each illustrator captures a different mood and theme of what America is, inspired by the quote. A fun classroom activity would be to compare and contrast the artists' styles.
April 11, 2013
I checked this book out of the library because it includes illustrations by two of my favorite illustrators: Jon J. Muth and Bryan Collier. The book was a little disjointed, though, because quotes by famous Americans are set to the side of the text of "America the Beautiful"; in order to read the quotes, you have to interrupt the song.
July 27, 2013
This is a really good book about America. It contains quotes from our presidents and beautiful illustrations. It also has pictures of our national monuments.
It could be used in a social studies class to teach students about our presidents. You could have the students research the presidents who are mentioned in the book.
It could be used in a social studies class to teach students about our presidents. You could have the students research the presidents who are mentioned in the book.
September 9, 2013
A beautiful song and a beautiful book. Each line of the song is illustrated on a two-page spread; each contains a quote from a president as well. The backmatter discusses our national symbols and gives the complete words for the song. There isn't a lot of explanation or history on the song/poem, but there are a couple of paragraphs on why Katherine Lee Bates wrote the poem.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews