Rockwell, Anne Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington, illustrated by Matt Phelan. Harcourt (Houghton), 2009. $17.00. PICTURE BOOK. 300 years ago, George Washington was a shy young boy being raised by his adult half brother. He educated himself and traveled with Lawrence, his brother – and when the French-Indian Wars began, he answered the call of the King of England. This picture book is not about any one specific incident in Washington’s life, but instead uses simple language to cover the panoply of his life – from a young age until his years as the President. There’s almost enough material here for a younger student to write a biography from – a teacher could certainly use it for a unit in class. EL – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher
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Thanks so much for your praise for BIG GEORGE. It was not easy to put the complexities of the man and his times in a picture book and I could so easily have failed at it! As I researched the story my respect for Washington grew, and I kept my fingers crossed that the illustrator would see in the man what I did. Matt Phelan came through superbly! It's a book I'm proud of, and hope the children it's meant for find something of themselves in George Washington, the child and the man.
Anne Rockwell
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