What's the Big Deal About Americans
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
From Native American traditions to immigrant inventions, from diversity to democracy, from ice cream cones to apple pie, this fun and fact-filled book--now in chapter book format!--celebrates the melting pot and mosaic that is America. A perfect way to start a conversation about America with young readers.
Did you know that the inventor of American cheese actually came from Canada? Or that founding father Benjamin Franklin was inspired to create a democratic society by a confederacy of Native American tribes who came together to stop their constant warring? How about that both "God Bless America" and "White Christmas" were written by Irving Berlin, a Russian Jew who fled to the U.S. because of persecution back home?
This entertaining, fact-filled book, perfect for fans of the Who Was series, is a great way to talk about the idea that people have come to America from many countries, in many ways, for many reasons. Americans have many different beliefs, different languages, and different traditions. But even with all of these differences, America comes together with the understanding that our country and government is "of the people, by the people, and for the people." And there's nothing more American than that.
With full-color illustrations throughout and a timeline of American history and additional reading resources at the end, this book is a perfect introduction to the story of America.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
What is at the heart of Americans' collective identity and strength? Their far-flung roots, Shamir says in this latest installment of the civic-minded What's the Big Deal series: "at some point, all of us were new to this land." Those backstories difficult, happy, and tragic have led to a "rainbow assortment of people" who represent an "array of languages and backgrounds, talents and interests, hopes and beliefs" and who possess an inextinguishable inventive spirit (Waffle cones! Safe elevators! The Apgar test!). As the peppy text offers facts about famous and, less frequently, infamous moments in the American story, Faulkner breaks the content into visually digestible chunks with stylish editorial watercolors; invariably, however, the book has the feel of a March of History mural. Faulkner does leave readers with one image that is undeniably thought-provoking: an America whose entry door is locked tight. Ages 4 8.