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Summary
Summary
One of the most celebrated artists working today visually captures a joyous moment in our history - how people felt upon hearing that Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States.
Author Notes
President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961. He graduated with a degree in political science from Columbia University in 1983. Before moving to Chicago in 1985, he worked at Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group. In Chicago, he worked as a community organizer with low-income residents. He entered Harvard Law School in 1988, was elected editor of the Harvard Law Review in 1990, and graduated in 1991. After graduating law school, he returned to Chicago and became a civil rights lawyer. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
In 1997, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate and served until 2004. In 2000, he made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2005, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2007, he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. On November 4, 2008, Obama defeated John McCain in the general election and became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. He wrote Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance in 1995 and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream in 2006. He won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards in 2006 and 2008 for abridged audiobook versions of both books. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. His book Of Thee I Sing came out in 2010.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1 Up-Weaving Obama's words with his own extraordinary graphite drawings, Nelson has created a moving celebration of the election of our 44th president. The opening pages set the stage for the change that is inspiring America, with simple lines of voters drawn across the spreads of this small book: "It's the answer told by lines/that stretched around schools and churches/in numbers this nation has never seen." In "A Note from the Artist," Nelson explains his motivation for creating this beautiful book: "I hope the artwork will remind all who see it of the greatness of our country and its ability to grow and change for the better." The book's powerful, optimistic message will continue to remind Americans about who we are as a nation and what we can accomplish together: "This is your victory. Change has come to America." A worthy addition.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The inspirational quotations constituting this offering's text are culled from five of Barack Obama's better-known speeches predating his inauguration. The corresponding drawings--loose-handed graphite sketches showing President Obama, his family, and diverse supporters--realize Nelson's stated intent: to remind readers of "the greatness of our country and its ability to grow and change for the better. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Two-time Caldecott Honor winner Nelson here gives up his studied compositions and meticulous applications of color in favor of quick, emotion-laden graphite sketches that commemorate Barack Obama's groundbreaking campaign and victory. Set to Obama's own words, gathered from several speeches given from 2004 to his acceptance speech on Nov. 4, 2008, the illustrations neatly provide visual accompaniment to the oratory. A long line of patient voters stretches across two-and-a-half pages before the next turn reveals citizens in voting booths, as the text reads, "It's the answer told by lines / that stretched around schools and churches / in numbers this nation has never seen." Martin Luther King Jr. leads a march in another spread; the page turn reveals the White House. The wee trim size, creamy stock and ornately loopy typeface gives the volume both intimacy and ceremonial weight. The unabashed feeling conveyed in every loose line helps to make this a lovely memento, just in time for Inaguration Day. (Picture book. All ages) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
