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missjenniferlowe's review against another edition
2.0
Why isn't Abe wearing any pants? The author even points out his lack of pants, as he goes frolicing off into the woods with his friend. I feel like no pants deserves more of an explanation.
kesterbird's review against another edition
2.0
I've done some reading aloud with several small children, not enough for a scientific sample, but enough to have a hypothesis and... there is absolutely no way a child is going to sit through this book unless you make up a totally, 100% new, unrelated story to go with the pictures. The pictures are cute, but not quite worth that challenge.
luann's review against another edition
4.0
I'm reading this to my library classes this week for a lesson on historical fiction. It works perfectly for that and even points out that when you are telling a story from history, if you weren't there, you don't know some of the details for sure.
I love how Hopkinson talks to John, the illustrator, several times throughout the story. She also encourages reader participation by talking directly to the reader, asking questions, and calling for applause and shouts of "Yee-haw!" to encourage one of the characters during a tense time in the story. Just fun!
I love how Hopkinson talks to John, the illustrator, several times throughout the story. She also encourages reader participation by talking directly to the reader, asking questions, and calling for applause and shouts of "Yee-haw!" to encourage one of the characters during a tense time in the story. Just fun!
brucefarrar's review against another edition
3.0
When he was seven-years-old Abraham Lincoln fell into the flooded Knob Creek near his home in Kentucky, and would probably have drowned but for the quick action of his friend Austin Gollaher who fished him out. This 1816 historical incident is the basis for the tale Hopkinson tells the reader and the illustrator. She imagines, as if she were recalling the story out loud, what the scene might have looked like. What would history be like if young Abe drowned? Did Austin use a fishing pole or a branch to save his friend, or does he just dive in? “…that’s the thing about history—if you weren’t there, you can’t know for sure,” she says. Hendrix’s water-colored ink illustrations complement the playful speculative tone of the book.
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