The Children's Book of America

This is my favorite patriotic/citizen type book for elementary age children! It is full of illustrations that are absolutely beautiful. It contains poems, tall tales, short stories about famous Americans. A great way to introduce your child to people like: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Betsy Ross, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed and many more! Such a shame it is now an out of print book. I highly recommend!

It is a very fine book written for children. This means of course that it is not overly complex, but is straightforward and fun. It would be very silly to write a book for kids and get too deep. It would be very wrong to dwell overly much on the bad and not balance it with the overwhelming good about our nation. If you are looking for some kind of wacky politcal agenda here, as some might prefer, you will not find it. This is a nice introduction to the story of America. Children of all ages will enjoy it.

I really liked this book, and so did my children.Bennett has taken familiar vingettes (Pilgrims, Paul Bunyon, Johnny Apple Seed, Martin Luther King, Jr., moon walk, etc.) and presented them in a short form that is perfect for four to seven year olds and above.Each story teaches lessons based on core values and can lead to good discussions with children in trying to explain the underlying values. The tales are also a wonderful introduction to the story of our country through our history and myths. They cover the range of the American Experience and are exactly the kind of tales that can serve as a launching pad to introduce youngsters to a wider exploration of our national heritage. The stories themselves are well written and captivating (though my four year old's attention wandered with some -- it is for older than pre-school on the whole). The illustrations are first rate and help younger children understand the written story.The format is perfect for bedtime stories -- good length for a one story a night reading. It is also one you'll want to return to again.

This is a wonderful book for children to become familiar with the people and events that helped shape this great nation. The stories are inspirational and guided by a moral purpose. Our children need to know what a special and great country they live in!