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Summary
Summary
There are two sides to every story. Rosalyn Schanzer's engaging and wonderfully illustrated book brings to life both sides of the American Revolution.
The narrative introduces anew the two enemies, both named George- George Washington, the man who freed the American colonies from the British, and George III, the British king who lost them. Two leaders on different sides of the Atlantic, yet with more in common than we sometimes acknowledge. We are lead through their story, and the story of their times, and see both sides of the arguments that divided the colonies from the Kingdom. Was King George a "Royal Brute" as American patriots claimed? Or was he, as others believed, "the father of the people?" Was George Washington a scurrilous traitor, as all the king's supporters claimed? Or should we remember and celebrate him as "the father of his country?" Who was right? History teaches us that there are two sides to every story.
Rosalyn Schanzer's book is an accessible account of one the most vital periods in American history. It is also a timeless lesson in seeing history from different points of view. The author spent two years researching books, paintings, cartoons, and descriptions of Revolutionary times. She uses art, text, and first-hand accounts to illustrate how history should never be reduced to simplistic conflicts between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." Her illustrations, and her engaging quote bubbles, bring the Revolution to life again, and allow the characters of the period to speak for themselves. Through its lively text, detailed illustrations, and fully authenticated quotes, George vs. George shines fresh light on both sides of the story of our country's formative years.
Author Notes
Rosalyn Schanzer is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous books for young readers. An avid photographer, swimmer and adventurer, Schanzer lives in Virginia.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-A carefully researched, evenhanded narrative with well-crafted, vibrant, watercolor illustrations. Schanzer states that her challenge was to "-cram 20 years of history, biography, and philosophy into a picture book that kids could grasp and enjoy." She has been entirely successful. The introduction sets the tone, introducing both George Washington and King George III, mentioning their differing views, and noting that every story has two sides. The remainder of the book presents these two sides on spreads that alternate between the man and the monarch, with comparisons of the American and British governmental forms, views on taxation, the Boston Tea Party, and coverage of most of the major battles of the Revolutionary War. True to the author's intent, both Georges come off as decent men, with the interests of their respective countries at heart. The illustrations are amazing. Almost Brueghelesque in their detail, they show the major players as they actually looked. Speech balloons reproduce the exact words of the speakers, with appended "Quote Sources." This is a lovely book, showing historical inquiry at its best: consideration of both sides, a sound research basis, attribution of sources, and interesting writing. Written at a higher level than Jean Fritz's Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? (Putnam, 1977), this book provides the perfect meld of instructional tool and general-interest reading.-Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) Using the natural voice of a storyteller, Cheney tells young readers a few reasons why George Washington is known for being ""first in war"" and ""first in the hearts of his countrymen."" A spare text, printed alternately on the right- and left-hand quarter of each double-page spread, covers the despair of the soldiers at Valley Forge, Washington's bold strategy to attack the British at Trenton and Princeton, and the sacrifice and bravery he exacted from his troops. Fiore's dramatic paintings cover three quarters of each spread and create a visual narrative that parallels Cheney's text. Patriotic quotes, such as Washington's ""We know not how to spare you"" when exhorting his troops to stay the course, accompany each illustration and are fully documented in explanatory source notes. In George vs. George, the father of our country receives dual billing with King George III as Schanzer compares the English monarch with the rebel leader. Although the latter receives more text than the former, this unusual organizational pattern creates a full picture of the causes, events, and immediate aftermath of the American Revolution. The clear text is further enhanced by maps, charts, scenes depicting the action, and a hefty dose of humor. Schanzer further employs an effective way of personalizing the narrative by providing conversational balloons for those individuals shown in the illustrations. These quotes receive complete source notes and are easy to identify for readers who wish to explore a topic further. A bibliography and index complete this fine book. [Review covers these titles: When Washington Crossed the Delaware and George vs. George.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In an uncommonly balanced view of the American Revolution for younger readers, Schanzer places King George III in a better light than young readers--American ones, anyway--generally get to see him, while noting that neither side was innocent of rash actions or atrocities. Developing the theme that "there are two sides to every story," she begins by comparing the two Georges, finding numerous similarities in both their public and private lives. She goes on to compare British and Colonial styles of government (more similarities), then chronicles the escalation of resistance over new taxes into full-scale war, compares the rival armies' dress and general behavior, and finishes with parallel accounts of the Georges' later lives. Loosely basing her illustrations on period images, Schanzer paints small labeled portraits on rough canvas, which gives them the look of needlepoint, and adds actual, cited quotes in dialogue balloons. This carefully researched reminder that the Revolution was an "us vs. us" conflict, not an "us vs. them" conflict should be required reading for all young students of American history. (index, multimedia source list) (Nonfiction. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 5-7. With its attractive jacket, its sustained effort to report both British and American points of view, and its fully illustrated overview of events, this colorful book has many qualities that make it a good introduction to the American Revolution. Schanzer lays the groundwork well, profiling England's King George III, America's George Washington, and their respective governments before chronicling the course of the Revolutionary War. Occasionally cartoonlike in their dramatizations and speech balloons, the lively illustrations take up more space than the words, but the text is clearly written. However, near the end the question is asked, So what was happening to American civilians all this time? The answer seems to be mayhem: people were tarred and feathered, women raped. Indians tortured . . . whole families, and scalped the dead and honored their bravest victims by eating them. The American troops showed off pairs of legging made from the skin of dead Indians. Given the book's highly illustrated format, this is too sensationalized for the age group, a jarring note in an otherwise solid offering. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2004 Booklist
