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allicatca's review
2.0
I only really learned about Eliza Hamilton from the author’s note in the back. This book was repetitive and vague.
alboyer6's review against another edition
4.0
I'm torn about what rating to give this book. As fiction I would give 4 stars. Thankfully in the authors note she does discuss what she did fictionalize with an explanation of why. I really appreciate at that. Maybe I will just think on it.
jaij7's review
5.0
Fantastic book. I loved this one about Eliza Hamilton. The illustrations are historical and gorgeous.
shaundell's review
4.0
Tells the story of Eliza Hamilton as a young child to an old woman and things she was able to accomplish. Loved the illustrations.
panda_incognito's review
2.0
This book has nice illustrations and addresses some important details from Eliza Hamilton's life, but I found it very disappointing. The text gets repetitive, and even though the notes in the back acknowledge occasional creative license, there was far too much creative license in this book for me to ever recommend it. Although I don't object to the illustrator portraying as Eliza as younger than she really was when she played backgammon with Benjamin Franklin, since the key details are true to history, I am not impressed with the purely imagined elements.
An early part of the book portrays Eliza's childhood concern for a specific orphan boy that she sees during her carriage rides, but this is a fabrication intended to represent her general concern for orphans, not a historical fact. Then, near the end, the illustrator pictures Eliza meeting Abraham Lincoln. This is just wishful thinking, as the notes in the back acknowledge, because even though Eliza lived long enough that they could have met, nothing in the historical record suggests that they did. And, as far as I'm concerned, that means that it didn't happen, because it is highly doubtful that no one would have ever noted a meeting between Eliza and Lincoln.
In a picture book biography of such brevity, there is space for imaginative interpretation, but not for sheer fabrication. It is not okay to tell children a story and then say at the end, "Oh, by the way, I made up some of the most memorable details." Because this book is presented as a nonfiction biography, not historical fiction, it is not okay for it to be this imaginatively influenced. Many children may not even read the clarifying notes in the back, and they will go through life remembering the image of Eliza in her chair and Lincoln with his top hat without knowing that this meeting almost certainly never happened.
In lieu of this book, I would recommend the following to families:
[b:Eliza Hamilton: Founding Mother|38398198|Eliza Hamilton Founding Mother|Monica Kulling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518392108l/38398198._SX50_.jpg|60054920]
[b:Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton|30976932|Eliza The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton|Margaret McNamara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552467717l/30976932._SX50_.jpg|51596940]
An early part of the book portrays Eliza's childhood concern for a specific orphan boy that she sees during her carriage rides, but this is a fabrication intended to represent her general concern for orphans, not a historical fact. Then, near the end, the illustrator pictures Eliza meeting Abraham Lincoln. This is just wishful thinking, as the notes in the back acknowledge, because even though Eliza lived long enough that they could have met, nothing in the historical record suggests that they did. And, as far as I'm concerned, that means that it didn't happen, because it is highly doubtful that no one would have ever noted a meeting between Eliza and Lincoln.
In a picture book biography of such brevity, there is space for imaginative interpretation, but not for sheer fabrication. It is not okay to tell children a story and then say at the end, "Oh, by the way, I made up some of the most memorable details." Because this book is presented as a nonfiction biography, not historical fiction, it is not okay for it to be this imaginatively influenced. Many children may not even read the clarifying notes in the back, and they will go through life remembering the image of Eliza in her chair and Lincoln with his top hat without knowing that this meeting almost certainly never happened.
In lieu of this book, I would recommend the following to families:
[b:Eliza Hamilton: Founding Mother|38398198|Eliza Hamilton Founding Mother|Monica Kulling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518392108l/38398198._SX50_.jpg|60054920]
[b:Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton|30976932|Eliza The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton|Margaret McNamara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552467717l/30976932._SX50_.jpg|51596940]
libraryrobin's review
3.0
A muted palette is employed to tell the story of a Founding Mother. Few details are given in the story text, most of the information follows in an afterward.
molliebrarian's review
3.0
This was brief but sweet. Not the best picture book bio I've read on Eliza, but it was pretty good.
tracie_nicole's review
4.0
This was an accessable and short little biography about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. It didn't give me too much information, but made me want to learn more about her. I loved the author's note and the illustrations were stunning.
I saw people mentioning the repetition in the story, but I think it helps children to remember her and her husband's qualities, and internalize them more.
I saw people mentioning the repetition in the story, but I think it helps children to remember her and her husband's qualities, and internalize them more.
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