An interesting snippet of history. It focuses on an object that you might see in a museum without really registering. Without context it means little. A unique story, certainly, but a very niche area of interest.

This is a great picture book of a girl during the great depression making a gift for the president. I really liked the pictures and story.

I really love Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt by Lupe Ruiz-Flores! Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt, tells the story of Ernestine, a young girl growing up in the Depression Era, who wants to do something to tell President Roosevelt “thank you” for all that he has done as President. Ernestine decides to make a clock out of a plan that her Uncle gave her and send it to the President.

I love this little known part of history. I love learning about Ernestine and her intelligence and creativity. I love that the clock still survives today at the FDR Library (and I really want to see it). I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated and written book! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC!

This book is an amazing story of resilience and personal growth. It also shows kids how they can make a difference by sharing their gifts with the worId. I will recommend this book to parents and will adopt this title to my therapeutic practice.

I love when I'm looking for stories to share and I end up learning something new myself. That was the case with Piece By Piece, I never knew about this story and I'm so sad it took so long for me to learn about it. But Ernestine Guerrero was an incredible girl who represented so many during the Great Depression and managed to still looking for the good in the world at the time. Absolutely amazing.

Ernestine Guerrero's father was a carpenter, and nine-year-old Ernestine was his assistant. But when the Great Depression hit, his customers could no longer afford to pay him, and the family lost their land. They might have starved had it not been for Roosevelt's New Deal program, and the crates of free food from the government. Ernestine wanted to make a special gift for the president to thank him for his help. She decided to put her woodworking skills to the test by creating a spectacular present.

This is a marvelous look at a neglected piece of history, and a fascinating contribution by a Mexican American woman.

A glossary and a bibliography are included.

What a cool piece of history. "Piece by Piece" tells the story of Ernestine Guerrero, a Mexican-American girl living through the Great Depression. Her family weathered the Depression with the support of government food aid, and she wanted to send the president something in return—and what she settled on was a veritable masterpiece of skill, ingenuity, and perseverance.

I'd never heard of Guerrero or her clock (can't even find a Wikipedia article on either of them!), but this is a story worth telling, and I'm glad that kids who read this book can now grow up knowing it—and seeing the clock, if they're ever in Hyde Park. The book doesn't belabor the point, but I also appreciate the subtle acknowledgement (in an era when people are afraid of anything that might look like socialism) of how much government assistance can help when times are rough, and how much good it can do. As the book notes, not much is known of Guerrero's later life, but I hope she found a way to keep her creativity and skill alive.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

This biography is intended for audience of 5-9 years old and brings an inspiring story.

During the Great Depression, Ernestine Guerrero’s family was among many families who relied on wooden crates of free food from the government. Ernestine wanted to show President Roosevelt how grateful she was for the program that fed them and others. She didn’t have any money and wasn’t sure how to express it in the best possible way.

In San Antonio, Texas, Ernestine helped her father who worked as a carpenter before the Great Depression. She learned from him how to work with wood. When her uncle gave her a woodworking pattern for a clock case, she knew she found the perfect thank you gift.

The wooden crates that once held food would be used as material for building clock case. The work composed of many pieces wasn’t easy. Ernestine made a lot of mistakes, but piece by piece she continued. She used a simple tool of coping saw to cut intricate designs. After over a year of work, she glued 156 pieces of wood together.

This is one of the most inspiring stories, showing that with very little you can still inspire to do great things. This clock case is admired by millions of people who visit Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York.

The title beautifully flows with the text. The illustrations amazingly express feelings of Ernestine. The combination of interesting text and defined illustrations make it an engaging read for children that shed light on amazing story.

A true story of a little act of gratitude from a child recognized by a great leader and immortalized in NYC. Story is easily accessible with simple illustrations. Summary at the end includes photographs and further details on this labor of love. Glossary is short and pertinent. Source notes and bibliography allow for further research on the main story points. A great read to connection thankfulness with history that doesn’t only rely on the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving (and perhaps more relatable for children).

Please read the author's note at the end! It gives so much more interesting information to the story that I wish had been included into the story itself. Piece by Piece is one of those great stories from history that should be more well known. It is both sadening and heartwarming of a tale. I wish I had half the talent or determination that Ernestine showed at even such a young age. My only complaint is that I wish the book included a better (and bigger ) image of the actual letter she wrote to the president as well as a typed version for those who struggle to read cursive. The one included in the authors note was so small that I had to look it up online just to be able to read it fully.

Ernestine was a Mexican American girl whose family was affected by the Great Depression. In order to thank the President for his New Deal which was helping her family during a very difficult time, Ernestine hand-built a beautiful clock out of 156 pieces of wood. An inspirational story from the Great Depression that I had never heard. The clock can be seen in New York.

A great book for upper elementary students that cover main themes that can be relatable to them.

I was provided a galley copy of this title by NetGalley. This does not influence my opinions.

I enjoyed this children's book about a young woman in the Great Depression who created a work of art out of trash to send to President Roosevelt as a thank you for the help he and the federal government were providing to families for their survival.

I enjoy learning about little known pieces of history.

I look forward to sharing this title with my children.

5/5

A touching and beautifully written picture book biography of an ordinary girl who used her talent to create an extraordinary gift for a remarkable president. Told with dignity and heart -- a worthwhile addition to history collections.

During the Great Depression, young Ernestine Guerra dropped out of school and became her father’s assistant. carpenter. Eventually her father became unemployed .The family received free food from FDR’s federal program. To show her tremendous gratitude, Ernestine used the wood from the food crates the family received to create an elaborate clock case that required 156 pieces of wood. It took her a year to practice the woodworking required. When it was finished, she sent it along with a note. She received a note in reply. The clock case and her letters are on display at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York. This is a wonderful true story of expressing kindness and gratitude during a trying time in our history.

Piece by Piece is a beautiful storybook that teaches children a lesson in history by telling the story of Ernestine Guerrero, a teenager living in Texas during the Great Depression. Ernestine, grateful for the food crates the government under FDR’s New Deal was providing, decided to use her woodworking skills to create an intricately-designed decorative clock for FDR, as both thanks and encouragement to continue the program.

This book provides a glimpse into this hard time in history that gives perspective both to little ones and adults alike. Illustrator Anna López Real did a lovely job with the imagery as well.

Thank you to author Lupe Ruiz-Flores, illustrator Anna López Real, NetGalley, and Millbrook Press for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is certainly written to show an example of great gratitude. I would say it is suitable for older elementary school children, as the words and concepts used are above the younger kids. It's a great story with the ability to teach, but the book isn't preachy at all.

Nice clean and straightforward graphic novel about a unique present a young girl sent to the President during the Great Depression. Unlike other graphic novels, there is not a lot of text so this would be good for younger readers.

Piece by Piece
Ernestine's Gift for President Roosevelt
by Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Pub Date 05 Sep 2023
Lerner Publishing Group, Millbrook Press ™
Biographies & Memoirs | Children's Nonfiction | History


In conjunction with Lerner Publishing Group, Millbrook Press, and Netgalley, I am reviewing a copy of Piece by Piece:


Ernestine Guerrero's family struggled during the Great Depression.


In gratitude for the government food assistance they received in San Antonio, Texas, the Mexican American teen wanted to personally thank President Roosevelt. But how? After viewing the plans for a very difficult woodworking project, she decided to make it herself and send it to the president. Piece by piece, that is exactly what she accomplished. Her clock case remains on display in the Roosevelt Presidential Library to this day.


In this picture book with striking illustrations by Anna Lopez Real, the author tells the inspiring true story of a girl who proved that if you look carefully, treasure can be found in unexpected places.


I give Piece by Piece five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

“The true story of a girl who, piece by piece, created a gift for a president.”

This story is SO cool!! 0.0 I have always loved stories of the Great Depression, and this one did not disappoint. I love books that tell microhistories.

The artwork in this book was beautiful! There was also a good amount of history sprinkled throughout about the Great Depression. The artwork and words work together to tell the compelling story of a difficult time in history. This would be great on a teachers shelf! I work for a food relief organization, and think hunger can be such a difficult concept to explain to a child... this book would be a huge help with that! I especially appreciated that there was a glossary and history in the back, as well.

So good! 5 stars!