This Land is Your Land

My grandson loves hearing me sing this song and point out the places and people of America, plus heartwarming illustrations about improving run down inner city I give this book as a gift all the time!

Woody Guthrie's song, This Land is Your Land, is an American classic, and the illustrations in this book do justice to the lyrics. This book will become a treasure in my family, to be enjoyed, shared, loved and understood by children and adults.

What a wonderful book! Woody Guthrie's simple but evocative lyrics (with all of the original verses restored) are brilliantly set off by the marvelous folk art oil paintings of Kathy Jakobsen. Jakoben's artwork is what will draw you into the book. Double page landscapes depict the plains, the desert, and the dust blown wheat fields of Oklahoma. All four seasons are beautifully rendered as well. There are cityscapes (including a striking New York City with the Twin Towers still standing) and idyllic country landscapes. The Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Brooklyn Bridge, St. Louis Gateway Arch, Old Faithful, Seattle Space Needle, and Coney Island, among others, are American landmarks that pepper the pages of the book. And the figure of Woody with his guitar wanders through all of them as our great American troubadour. (My kids play a game of lets find Woody on every page.) The layout of the book keeps it endlessly interesting for both children and adults. Most of the verses are depicted with a double page painting, while the repeating chorus takes two pages that split into multiple scenes of Americana. In the Four Corners of these pages are small quotes from Guthrie's other song lyrics and writings. Children are captured by the bright and simple artwork, while adults can become lost within the multiple possibilities that are offered on every page. This great American anthem of the common man and his love of the land, "made for you and me", receives a truly worthy treatment in this book. It is both a favorite of my pre-school children, and one of my most cherished books. Even if you don't have kids, it would make a fine book to put out on your coffee table to delight your guests with its many charms. Theo Logos

My children love "singing" books and this is one that should be sung more often and with great gusto! The illustrations are wonderul and display the diversity that is so prominient in the American landscape. We selected it as a gift for family friends who have two sons with Korean heritage, now American citizens. We also utilized it for a 4th of July celebration and it was very well received by multi-age children. It also has great appeal from an adult perspective...love the page toward the back with all of the various artists on stage...picking out the places I have traveled and those which still call to me....

My wife and I just returned from a long trip through the Southwest and southern Rockies. En route home to Florida we stopped off in Okemah, Oklahoma, Woody's home town, and it was there I discovered this beautiful book. It is, I suppose, a children's book, and I thought at first that I might give it to my grandchildren, but the combination of exquisite art work and well-chosen Woody-words is to good to give up. Solution: I plan to buy several copies as Christmas presents not only for my grandkids but for my friends' kids as well. If you're a fan of Woody's, or just love truly beautiful, warm-hearted childrens' books, you will want to do the same.

My almost 5 year old son really is enjoying this book. He loves the pictures, and has learned the song and sings it often. Although I was not sure how he would react to some of the pictures of homelessness and hungry people, it has turned out to be a real conversation starter for us to talk about those tough subjects in a compassionate and non-scary way. I have always loved this song, and this book really does it justice.