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Searching... Stillwater Public Library | Q J 921 ROOSEVELT | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Before Teddy Roosevelt became famous as a statesman, naturalist, colonel in the Spanish-American War, and twenty-sixth president of the United States, he was a young boy called Teedie who had wonderful adventures with his brother and sister and even started a museum in his attic. But he also struggled with terrible asthma. Overcoming his illness was the major battle of his young life . . . and his determination to make himself strong and healthy set the course for his amazing accomplishments to come.
First in a planned series of picture storybooks about "turning points" in the lives of the young Presidents, this book is written by the in-comparable author of So You Want to Be President? and whimsically illustrated by Matthew Faulkner.
Author Notes
Judith St. George (born 1931) was an American author, most famous for writing So You Want to Be President? Author and illustrator David Small was awarded the 2001 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. St. George wrote more than 40 books, most were historical fiction. She was born in Westfield, NJ and graduated from Smith College.
Saint George died on June 10, 2015; she was 84.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-In this new series of picture-book biographies, St. George explores the childhood years of presidents, posing the question: "Was there a turning point in their young lives that caused them to change direction and set them on a path that led them to the White House?" Teddy's, readers learn, was the boxing lessons that capped years of sickly health, family journeys to distant climes, and rigorous gym workouts. "By his own strong will, Teedie had at last won the battle for his body." Selected episodes, always emphasizing his enduring asthma problems and fascination with animals, are set in six chapters against double-page gouache paintings. A wooden beginning gives way to some good humor, as "Teedie" assembles his own home wildlife museum. The illustrations create a strong sense of time and place and are peopled by rather comic folk. From middle childhood to late teens, Roosevelt always looks the same, with a large adolescent head atop his thin, energetic body. The moral-persistence overcomes physical weakness-is ever present and relevant to youngsters. The book provides a salient introduction to the boy who would become a colorful president. A final note sketches Roosevelt's adult years. A solid choice for independent readers or for sharing aloud with children.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
St. George's (So You Want to Be President?) anecdotal account of Roosevelt's early years launches the Turning Point Book series, spotlighting a pivotal event in the life of a future president. The author explains that as a child (nicknamed "Teedie") the "pale and puny" Roosevelt suffered from asthma and other ailments. In hopes of improving his health, his parents take the family to the country, where Teedie becomes a lifelong nature lover. The boy begins filling his New York City bedroom with living and dead animals, creating a "museum." When Teedie's father tells him that he has "the mind, but not the body," the lad begins working out with weights and later takes up boxing. He goes on to win 14 out of 15 events at a family field day, in the somewhat anticlimactic conclusion, proving that "by his own strong will, Teedie had at last won the battle for his body." Featuring an earth-toned palette, Faulkner's gouache artwork keeps the mood light. A standout spread spotlights Teedie's impeccably dressed Southern belle mom amidst the roguish body-builders at the gym. The conversational narrative includes some odd details (e.g., when the boy was 10, "Papa even gave Teedie coffee to drink and cigars to smoke to help his breathing"), but readers who identify with the young hero's underdog beginnings may well be inspired by his rise to strength and stature. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) In this first entry in a new series, St. George asks readers to consider the importance of turning points in life -- ""a person we meet, an experience we have, a difficulty we overcome."" She uses Theodore Roosevelt as a case in point, outlining his struggles with asthma and his decision (and subsequent hard work) to strengthen his frail body. This picture-book biography, covering only Roosevelt's childhood and concentrating on his bouts with ill health, his father's strong influence, and his own tenaciousness, constitutes a vigorous story in six short chapters that can be read aloud to younger listeners but alone by newly independent readers. St. George's skill in presenting information with a light touch (""In Europe, Teedie fought asthma, headaches, stomachaches and nightmares in sixty-six different hotels"") keeps the pace lively, while Faulkner's full- and double-page gouache illustrations, with their near-caricatures of young Teedie, further animate the narrative. The few undocumented conversations and thoughts, completely consistent with general TR lore, are more than likely found in Roosevelt's childhood diary or his complete autobiography, both listed in the author's bibliography. An author's note briefly covers Roosevelt's adult years. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The author of So You Want to Be President? (2000) opens a series of closer looks at turning points in the lives of future Chief Executives with this lively and handsomely designed account of Teddy--or "Teedy," as he was then known--Roosevelt's youth. She finds several watershed moments for puny, unathletic Teedy, from his discovery of the Great Outdoors, to a commitment to exercise inspired by this father's observation that "you must make your body," and an encounter with bullies that impelled him to take up boxing. She also highlights his love of natural history, introduces his parents and siblings, and chronicles the Roosevelt clan's travels to Europe and Egypt. Faulkner captures Teedy's boundless energy and determination in detail-rich scenes of the lad with his close, plainly well-to-do family, surrounded by his collections of animal specimens, and demonstrating his hard-won athletic prowess to a crowd of admiring relatives. Closing with a quick look at Roosevelt's presidency and after, this makes a rousing tale of obstacles overcome. (afterword, bibliography) (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. In You're on Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt,0 the first in the new Turning Point Book series, St. George marshals the same lively spirit she used in her Caldecott Medal winner So You Want to Be President? 0 (2000) to tell the story of "Teedie" Roosevelt's childhood. Faulkner's cartoon-style illustrations present the history and the characters from the young boy's viewpoint as St. George describes Roosevelt's triumph over debilitating asthma and his success as an athlete and student. St. George never minimizes Roosevelt's struggle; one particularly memorable picture shows the bespectacled, awkward city weakling being harassed by country bullies. The truth about failure will appeal to kids as much as the gentle message about determination and achievement. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2004 Booklist
