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America : A Patriotic Primer
America: A Patriotic Primer is a succinct history of the United States, an ABC of the principles on which this country was founded, and a book for children and families to pore over, discuss, and cherish.
A is for America,
the land that we love.
B is for the Birthday
of this country of ours....
To choose the twenty-six people and ideas that comprise the book, Lynne Cheney has drawn on a lifetime of learning about the American past, and on the inspiration that comes from witnessing recent history firsthand. Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser imbues Mrs. Cheney's words with childlike joy through her exuberant drawings. Together they have created a patriotic primer, a book that teaches history by celebrating the diversity, tenacity, and faith of the American people.
This A to Z of America frames the story -- and the miracle -- of our country.
A is for America,
the land that we love.
B is for the Birthday
of this country of ours....
To choose the twenty-six people and ideas that comprise the book, Lynne Cheney has drawn on a lifetime of learning about the American past, and on the inspiration that comes from witnessing recent history firsthand. Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser imbues Mrs. Cheney's words with childlike joy through her exuberant drawings. Together they have created a patriotic primer, a book that teaches history by celebrating the diversity, tenacity, and faith of the American people.
This A to Z of America frames the story -- and the miracle -- of our country.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2002
2 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Cheney
19 books66 followersLynne Ann Vincent Cheney, is a novelist, conservative scholar, and former talk-show host who is the wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 4, 2019
What a great resource! Parents may wish to edit to suit their needs, but overall this is a lovely book chock full of history. You can either read the poem on its own for younger children, or explore the many tidbits on each page with older ones.
February 5, 2018
What a lovely book! You'll want this one in your home so that your children can pull it out whenever they want and be inspired. The illustrations are top-notch and each page is designated a letter of the alphabet with a person or theme that begin with that letter. What a good gimmick to help kids remember!
Ages: 4+
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 4+
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
July 5, 2017
Read this aloud to my siblings today! I found it pretty interesting. It is an alphabet book that takes you through our history one letter at a time.
March 19, 2022
A beautifully illustrated picture book for younger kids to walk through the letters of the alphabet and how they relate to our countries freedoms!
June 30, 2023
Excellent intro to the USA in an accessible format for multi-ages with fun artwork!
March 2, 2018
This book was written with the intention of showing the author's grandchildren how blessed we are to live in America. But it also celebrates the United States and the history of how we became a nation and what it took to have the rights we have today. It is similar to Capital! Washington D.C. A to Z but it shows more of the importance of the great nation as a whole that we live in today and the blessings we should be proud of. Reading it was a great reminder for me of what has happened in history that allowed us to be where we are today. My favorite quote of the book was "Y is for YOU and all you will be in this greatest of countries, the land of the free." It is encouraging to children of how they will impact and change the world we live. I would read this book before starting a unit on history.
October 31, 2017
Summary
In this book, each letter of the alphabet represents a piece of America. It talks about Heroism, Patriotism, and the History of America. "Different as we are, we are all part of a single nation: The United States of America".
Evaluation
The illustrations in this book are extremely detailed and appropriate to what the letter and written words are describing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves American History or America in general.
Teaching Point
I would use this book as a visual when teaching Social Studies. There are pages dedicated to presidents, community helpers, July 4th, founding father, Congress and government, and so much more.
In this book, each letter of the alphabet represents a piece of America. It talks about Heroism, Patriotism, and the History of America. "Different as we are, we are all part of a single nation: The United States of America".
Evaluation
The illustrations in this book are extremely detailed and appropriate to what the letter and written words are describing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves American History or America in general.
Teaching Point
I would use this book as a visual when teaching Social Studies. There are pages dedicated to presidents, community helpers, July 4th, founding father, Congress and government, and so much more.
April 18, 2019
1. Awards the book has received: None
2. Appropriate grade level(s): K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd
3. Original summary: America: A Patriotic Primer is a succinct history of the United States, an ABC of the principles on which this country was founded, and a book for children and families to pore over, discuss, and cherish.
4. Original review: Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser imbues Mrs. Cheney's words with childlike joy through her exuberant drawings. Together they have created a patriotic primer, a book that teaches history by celebrating the diversity, tenacity, and faith of the American people.
5. 1-2 possible in-class uses: Can be used to study History in the US and learn the Alphabet and how these two tie together
2. Appropriate grade level(s): K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd
3. Original summary: America: A Patriotic Primer is a succinct history of the United States, an ABC of the principles on which this country was founded, and a book for children and families to pore over, discuss, and cherish.
4. Original review: Illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser imbues Mrs. Cheney's words with childlike joy through her exuberant drawings. Together they have created a patriotic primer, a book that teaches history by celebrating the diversity, tenacity, and faith of the American people.
5. 1-2 possible in-class uses: Can be used to study History in the US and learn the Alphabet and how these two tie together
November 7, 2019
Very, very informational but not dry. At all. Charming illustrations cover each page. The format of the book is not paragraph-style, it's more map-with-notes. Amazing book, geared for kids but well worth the money and time for adults. It will keep you busy for quite a while. Cheney did her homework, that's for sure!
April 25, 2019
I got this book years ago and was so very impressed by Lynne Cheney's writing - combined with the illustrations the book is a keeper and just as good for us adults as young kids! Was fun to read and I did enjoy the refresher of our history!
August 25, 2025
This was such a good book to read! It provides a lot of fun facts about America, the illustrations were not my favorite as they were a bit to bust, but other than that it was a good book. This would be good for a kindergarten classroom learning about the importance of America and our freedoms.
December 11, 2018
A great book for young ages to introduce the basics of America’s founding.
December 31, 2020
I love Lynne Cheney's history books.
July 13, 2021
Nice illustrations!
July 11, 2022
Beautiful book full of facts about America. I love the illustrations and it's facts.
January 30, 2023
Another lovely alphabet book by Lynne Cheney, with marvelous illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser. I love alphabet books, and Cheney's books are a treasure.
November 15, 2024
A lot of great information about America.
July 3, 2025
ABC book focusing on the United States of America and some of its history.
October 17, 2016
Jingoistic nonsense.
Seriously. She didn't even try! It's an alphabet book where all the letters have something to do with America. A is for America, but B is for Birthday! That doesn't have anything to do with America! Just birthday is related to July 4th. Some of the values are good, like Equality, and K is for King, like Martin Luther King Jr.
G is for God, in whom we trust. Because, of course, every American is Christian. Or at the very least Jewish. We all believe in the same God. Nobody in this country is Pagan, or Hindu, or an Atheist, or Buddhist, or anything else. Nope. Lalala I can't hear you!
O is for The oath that new Americans take. Q is for America's Quest, for the new, the far, the very best. Occasionally it rhymes, but not very often. U is for United States. X. It doesn't even say X is for, it just says, X. X marks the spot. And then shows a map of New England and random important locations there marked with an X. Y is for You! And all you will be! In this greatest of countries, the land of the free!
And then Z? Z is the end of the alphabet. Well, yes! Z is the end of the alphabet! But it starts words, come on! The end of the alphabet, but not of America's story. Strong and free, we will continue to be an inspiration to the world. Gag me. This is just jingoistic nonsense. It's not bad, it's just inane. Worthless. Apparently she's a widely published author.
It's not going to teach anybody the alphabet, and it's not really interesting. I mean, the things it talks about are important, but there is just so much text crammed onto every page in little, tiny locations. Like C is for the Constitution that binds us together. And the entire Preamble is on that page, there's a summary of what the Constitution is, where the Constitution is kept, a quote from James Madison, and a picture of a bunch of important buildings in Washington D.C. There's just so much information on that page. It is boring, the writing is not interesting, and it's just fact after fact. An information dump. It's not bad, just mediocre.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
Seriously. She didn't even try! It's an alphabet book where all the letters have something to do with America. A is for America, but B is for Birthday! That doesn't have anything to do with America! Just birthday is related to July 4th. Some of the values are good, like Equality, and K is for King, like Martin Luther King Jr.
G is for God, in whom we trust. Because, of course, every American is Christian. Or at the very least Jewish. We all believe in the same God. Nobody in this country is Pagan, or Hindu, or an Atheist, or Buddhist, or anything else. Nope. Lalala I can't hear you!
O is for The oath that new Americans take. Q is for America's Quest, for the new, the far, the very best. Occasionally it rhymes, but not very often. U is for United States. X. It doesn't even say X is for, it just says, X. X marks the spot. And then shows a map of New England and random important locations there marked with an X. Y is for You! And all you will be! In this greatest of countries, the land of the free!
And then Z? Z is the end of the alphabet. Well, yes! Z is the end of the alphabet! But it starts words, come on! The end of the alphabet, but not of America's story. Strong and free, we will continue to be an inspiration to the world. Gag me. This is just jingoistic nonsense. It's not bad, it's just inane. Worthless. Apparently she's a widely published author.
It's not going to teach anybody the alphabet, and it's not really interesting. I mean, the things it talks about are important, but there is just so much text crammed onto every page in little, tiny locations. Like C is for the Constitution that binds us together. And the entire Preamble is on that page, there's a summary of what the Constitution is, where the Constitution is kept, a quote from James Madison, and a picture of a bunch of important buildings in Washington D.C. There's just so much information on that page. It is boring, the writing is not interesting, and it's just fact after fact. An information dump. It's not bad, just mediocre.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
April 21, 2016
America A Patriotic Primer (2002) by Lynne Cheney, Pictures by Robin Glasser, non-fiction/ informational.
This informational A-Z book of facts and appreciation of our great United States, is an excellent way to impress patriotism for America. Each letter of the alphabet is addressed with a person, place or thing that relates to America either historically or sentimentally in general. Some examples of this are "L" is for Lincoln, and "M" is for Madison, two past presidents in our country. The introduction is very inspiring to read as well. The story of our country in a "nutshell" is what leads into the beginning the alphabet describing some of the most interesting events that have taken place here in America in our endeavors to our freedom.
The text and illustration are absolutely amazing in their detail and intricacy. There are lots of captions, framing of paintings/watercolor pictures, and famous quotes from many patriotic and passionate people in our country's past. The colors in some areas are kind of a sepia color, which reflects a "time in the past" and works very appropriately in that manner. Others are brighter colors, as we move from the past events into evens that have happened more recently.
In conclusion, I was very impressed with this book. I did not want to put it down! Each time I re-opened it, I would find more information and detail in the works. I would read this to my own classroom. We do a great deal of "themed" activities, and we can pull so much from this book to cover what we are trying to portray in many lessons. I definitely give this book a "thumbs up."
This informational A-Z book of facts and appreciation of our great United States, is an excellent way to impress patriotism for America. Each letter of the alphabet is addressed with a person, place or thing that relates to America either historically or sentimentally in general. Some examples of this are "L" is for Lincoln, and "M" is for Madison, two past presidents in our country. The introduction is very inspiring to read as well. The story of our country in a "nutshell" is what leads into the beginning the alphabet describing some of the most interesting events that have taken place here in America in our endeavors to our freedom.
The text and illustration are absolutely amazing in their detail and intricacy. There are lots of captions, framing of paintings/watercolor pictures, and famous quotes from many patriotic and passionate people in our country's past. The colors in some areas are kind of a sepia color, which reflects a "time in the past" and works very appropriately in that manner. Others are brighter colors, as we move from the past events into evens that have happened more recently.
In conclusion, I was very impressed with this book. I did not want to put it down! Each time I re-opened it, I would find more information and detail in the works. I would read this to my own classroom. We do a great deal of "themed" activities, and we can pull so much from this book to cover what we are trying to portray in many lessons. I definitely give this book a "thumbs up."
March 19, 2019
Genre: Picture Books- Alphabet/Counting Book
Awards: none
Audience: ages 3-7
A. This book fits in the alphabet/counting book category because the book introduces a new letter of the alphabet each page. The content of the page is based on a word about America that corresponds to that letter. For example, A for America and F for Freedom.
B. The composition of this book was very detailed. The author uses drawings with vibrant colors. The lines are straight and strong. The perspective on each page varies: the page on Martin Luther King is from farther away to show the multitude of people that he affected, and the United States page zooms out to show a map of the states. But, the layout was the most interesting thing to me. Each page has a border that represents the word on that page. The page on Native Americans has a border of colorful beads intertwined around the names of many tribes, the pages on individual American heroes have quotes by each man around the outside, and the page on the flag has instructions for how to fold the flag and blurbs on its history surrounding the illustrations. Overall, I thought the book was put together very well and the attention to detail was remarkable.
C. I would use this book in a read-aloud setting, most likely during a theme unit on America.
D. What does the D stand for and what was it? D is for Declaration of Independence, and it proclaimed that we were free.
Awards: none
Audience: ages 3-7
A. This book fits in the alphabet/counting book category because the book introduces a new letter of the alphabet each page. The content of the page is based on a word about America that corresponds to that letter. For example, A for America and F for Freedom.
B. The composition of this book was very detailed. The author uses drawings with vibrant colors. The lines are straight and strong. The perspective on each page varies: the page on Martin Luther King is from farther away to show the multitude of people that he affected, and the United States page zooms out to show a map of the states. But, the layout was the most interesting thing to me. Each page has a border that represents the word on that page. The page on Native Americans has a border of colorful beads intertwined around the names of many tribes, the pages on individual American heroes have quotes by each man around the outside, and the page on the flag has instructions for how to fold the flag and blurbs on its history surrounding the illustrations. Overall, I thought the book was put together very well and the attention to detail was remarkable.
C. I would use this book in a read-aloud setting, most likely during a theme unit on America.
D. What does the D stand for and what was it? D is for Declaration of Independence, and it proclaimed that we were free.
December 5, 2014
-An alphabet book about America, what we have gone through to become a country, some of the big milestones in our country, presidents, and our freedom.
-Has a short sentence that starts with different letter of the alphabet
-Has pictures and real informational facts about that sentence. (ex. 'D is for Declaration that proclaimed we are free' then it has a sentence about what the declaration was and when it was signed)
-Would be a good book to read when you are teaching the history of America, I would split it up over a couple of days because its pretty long.
-You could use this as an example of how to use every letter in the alphabet to talk about something. It would be fun to have the students try and summarize a different topic of study using this same concept and making a class book of all the students work. Each student could take a different letter and then draw a picture and state some facts about the sentence that they created.
-4th or 5th grade!
-Has a short sentence that starts with different letter of the alphabet
-Has pictures and real informational facts about that sentence. (ex. 'D is for Declaration that proclaimed we are free' then it has a sentence about what the declaration was and when it was signed)
-Would be a good book to read when you are teaching the history of America, I would split it up over a couple of days because its pretty long.
-You could use this as an example of how to use every letter in the alphabet to talk about something. It would be fun to have the students try and summarize a different topic of study using this same concept and making a class book of all the students work. Each student could take a different letter and then draw a picture and state some facts about the sentence that they created.
-4th or 5th grade!
April 11, 2015
**Alphabet book**
This patriotic book is perfect for any age. Whether your students are just learning the alphabet, or learning about our nations government, this book has it all. Each letter of the alphabet, has a specific word to correspond, with amazing illustrations and wonderful detail. Each letter's page is full of detail and facts with pictures to go along. This picture book would be great for students learning about their great country and the history of the states. This book has everything from the flag to rights and suffrage. With facts overflowing on each page, the author included text in the back with even more information. This is so awesome for teachers who have a difficult time teaching social studies, one could easily take a letter a week and focus on that letter for a social studies lesson. I really appreciate Mrs. Cheney's book and her wisdom on this wonderful country I call home. I give this book five stars and stripes out of five!
This patriotic book is perfect for any age. Whether your students are just learning the alphabet, or learning about our nations government, this book has it all. Each letter of the alphabet, has a specific word to correspond, with amazing illustrations and wonderful detail. Each letter's page is full of detail and facts with pictures to go along. This picture book would be great for students learning about their great country and the history of the states. This book has everything from the flag to rights and suffrage. With facts overflowing on each page, the author included text in the back with even more information. This is so awesome for teachers who have a difficult time teaching social studies, one could easily take a letter a week and focus on that letter for a social studies lesson. I really appreciate Mrs. Cheney's book and her wisdom on this wonderful country I call home. I give this book five stars and stripes out of five!
April 15, 2015
This is an informational ABC book about American concepts and history, but it goes much deeper than that. On each page is a letter standing for something related to the formation of America, but there are quotes, pictures, and factual information included on each page as well. It is not a comprehensive look at American history, but it does include some foundational concepts. Each page could take about 5-10 minutes to discuss, so it is not a book to read in a single day. This book is more at a 3rd grade level because of the information present, but it aligns most with the 5th grade study of the United States. I could see implementing this into the classroom by reading it with 5th graders and having them explore more parts of history that capture their attention. They could even put together an ABC book of their own in groups or as a class over another part of history for younger students.
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November 27, 2011This book contains a lot of vocabulary and facts about America and what it stands for. It based on the alphabet and for every letter it has a word and a definition or fact that pertains to the word on the context of American ideals. It is religious in that for the letter G it says that 'In God We Trust.' I don't think kids will have a problem with this line and most likely not the parents, but I always feel like that can be an issue. Regardless, this is a good book to read to students for any social studies lesson, really. Could be during the anniversary for 9/11 or during Black History Month when learning about many great African-Americans who served our country. Students could work on their own alphabet story about what they have learned during Black History Month, etc. Many good possibilities for this book.
November 13, 2013
Somehow I fell into being my son's den leader for Tiger Scouts. While I attend the meetings, I was perfectly happy to let someone else run the show. This year that someone else is me. :o
It was suggested I do something with the Pledge of Allegiance. I prepared a lesson and borrowed this book from a fellow teacher who teaches first grade. It is probably the nicest alphabet book I have read. A couple of the letters were forced (Z is the last letter . . . yeah, okay).
We read this as the boys colored an American flag.
The next time I need to teach such a lesson, I will use this book. It prompted a lot of discussion. I was impressed with Fritz's insight; he knows his stuff. Proud Papa writing this.
It was suggested I do something with the Pledge of Allegiance. I prepared a lesson and borrowed this book from a fellow teacher who teaches first grade. It is probably the nicest alphabet book I have read. A couple of the letters were forced (Z is the last letter . . . yeah, okay).
We read this as the boys colored an American flag.
The next time I need to teach such a lesson, I will use this book. It prompted a lot of discussion. I was impressed with Fritz's insight; he knows his stuff. Proud Papa writing this.
November 9, 2011
Cheney, Lynne. America A Patriotic Primer.
Rating: *****
Summary: This is an A to Z picture book about America. Each letter represents a principle that America stands for. Each picture shows the history of America along with the captions. Each letter is so specific with detail and how far our nation has evolved from the past when the Delaration of Independence was accepted. The book has so many important and factual details that could be shared with the classrooms of any age. A must read for all!
Key issues: America, Independence, history of Native Americans and the roles they played, Rights
Rating: *****
Summary: This is an A to Z picture book about America. Each letter represents a principle that America stands for. Each picture shows the history of America along with the captions. Each letter is so specific with detail and how far our nation has evolved from the past when the Delaration of Independence was accepted. The book has so many important and factual details that could be shared with the classrooms of any age. A must read for all!
Key issues: America, Independence, history of Native Americans and the roles they played, Rights
July 6, 2016
This is a great educational book about America, with bits of its history and important people that have shaped what it is today. It is outlined alphabetically, with a person or bit of history for every letter of the alphabet, so you can break it down and read a few at a time. But it's also not so long or complicated or boring that you couldn't read it all in a single sitting if you wanted. There is also an additional informational section in the back if your child is older and wants more information about the people, places, or events in the book. And true to form, Robin Preiss Glasser's illustrations take this book to the next level. This is the kind of book I want in my library.
May 30, 2012
I was so impressed with this book! I had to set aside my feelings about Dick Cheney and appreciate his wife's book for what it is, a thorough and beautifully-illustrated history of our country. This would be a wonderful book to pull out during the 4th of July and/or Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, etc. It covers A-Z of patriotic topics and has information jam-packed in every possible corner of each page, and again the illustrations are just fantastic!
July 3, 2009
An alphabet of American values including Heroism, Patriotism, "God, in whom we trust," Rights, Suffrage, King (Martin Luther), etc. Wonderfully busy pages with cute black ink and watercolor illustrations. Lots of important little quotes strewn around, including "I cannot live without books." (Jefferson)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews