America the Beautiful

This is a lovely book of the iconic poem, America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates! It begins with Katharine’s story behind her poem. Then as it tells the poem it is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations of across American. It it ends up ugh more information of Bates. This will be a book we will cherish and read many times

America the Beautiful illustrated with lovely pictures depicting the country from "sea to shining sea." The highlight of this copy is the glossary of illustrations, pointing out where in the country each of the pictures came from. A good read for Thanksgiving or Fourth of July story times. Ages 2-8

The illustrations by Wendell Minor bring to life this classic American song. It visually exemplifies the heart, rhythm and message of the song. In this time of turmoil this rendition is a ray of hope.

This book is stunning. It is a travelogue of the beautiful sites and scenery across the United States. Using the words of America the Beautiful, a poem written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893, Wendel Minor added amazing illustrations showing what had inspired Ms. Bates over a century ago. The back of the book has a brief biography of Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward, the man who wrote the music that turned this poem into the song that is sung proudly today. There is also a short description of each illustration and where the actual sight is located along with a map. I can see this book being used by a family setting out on the Great American Road Trip, or in a classroom to showcase various areas of the US. It is also a great book to use when teaching poetry and the inspirations behind it. Just a gorgeous book. A great one to be in any and all types of libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

This beautifully illustrated book takes the poem "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates and juxtaposes the words of this poem with wonderful illustrations of American landscapes. This book reveals a true and humbling love of America.

What a beautiful book, and what a wonderful way that the story and art are woven. This puts me in the mind of The Undefeated. Definitely one I will be purchasing for my library.

This book reminded me of other picture books I have used in the classroom. It is a great tool to have on your shelf for school-aged kids. Lots of information and great way to teach about the United States and how it became the country it is today.

So....I'm torn on this one. On the surface, this is a lovely book, filled with beautiful artwork of various places in the American landscape past and present, all paired with the verses of Katharine Lee Bates' poem "America the Beautiful." The book is put together nicely, with a foreword explaining how Bates came to write the poem, biographical details about Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward, who wrote the music for the hymn, along with example of a hymnal page and handwritten verses of the poem, descriptions of the places shown in the illustrations, and a map showing their locations. It really is a lovely presentation. But....
This is an idealized America, the one I remember from my childhood, before I learned about my nation's complicated history. It feels wrong to include Mt. Rushmore, knowing the creation of it desecrated sacred Native American land. In the two illustrations that acknowledge a Native American presence, they are shown either in the past, or in the Navajo Nation, which called a reservation until 1969. Seeing so many beautiful locations that I now know were taken from the indigenous people who lived there doesn't give me the sense of pride in my country that this book is meant to, it just makes me sad. So, mixed feelings on this book.

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