Abe’s Honest Words

The Life of Abraham Lincoln

Contributors

By Doreen Rappaport

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jan 12, 2016
Page Count
48 pages
ISBN-13
9781484749586

Price

$8.99

Price

$9.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Trade Paperback $8.99 $9.99 CAD
  2. Hardcover $16.99 $17.99 CAD

This accessible and stunningly illustrated picture book biography includes quotes from Abraham Lincoln himself, for an epic portrait of one of the most influential American presidents.

From the time he was a young boy roaming the forests of the remote Midwest, Abraham Lincoln knew in his heart that slavery was deeply wrong. A voracious reader, Lincoln spent every spare moment of his days filling his mind with knowledge, from history to literature to mathematics, preparing himself to one day lead the country he loved towards greater equality and prosperity. Despite the obstacles he faced as a self-educated man from the back woods, Lincoln persevered in his political career, and his compassion and honesty gradually earned him the trust of many Americans. As president, he guided the nation through a long and bitter civil war and penned the document that would lead to the end of slavery in the United States.

The passion for humanity that defined Lincoln’s life shines through in this addition to the highly acclaimed Big Words series, told in Doreen Rappaport’s accessible, absorbing prose, and brought to life in powerful illustrations by Kadir Nelson.

Don’t miss these other titles in the Big Words series!
Beacon of Hope: The Life of Barack Obama
Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa

Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • “This collaboration between Rappaport and Nelson provides a sweeping arc of Lincoln’s life, jumping from his humble beginnings and his early political career through his struggles to preserve the union and to help abolish slavery. Rappaport writes in a very free verse, and on each page echoes her narrative with prescient samplings of Lincoln’s words... This exceptional art, along with Rappaport’s and Lincoln’s words, makes this a fine celebration of a man who needs little introduction”
    Booklist
  • “With language as lean as our sixteenth president, Rappaport brings to light the major influences on and turning points in Lincoln’s life…Some of Nelson’s handsome portraits glow with background light and luminous skin tones, evoking the remote majesty of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial. At other times, he lets Lincoln walk down those stairs and portrays an unassuming man reading under a tree or cajoling political leaders with a story or two.”
    The Horn Book

Doreen Rappaport

About the Author

Doreen Rappaport has written numerous award-winning books for children, including: Freedom Ship and The School Is Not White, both illustrated by Curtis James; Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award winner; Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, CCBC Best Book of the Year, and an IRA Teacher’s Choice; Eleanor, Quiet No More, illustrated by Gary Kelly; and Jack’s Path of Courage, illustrated by Matt Tavares. She lives and writes in upstate New York, and she invites you to visit her online at doreenrappaport.com.
 
Matt Tavares is the illustrator of several books, including ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Jack and the Beanstalk, written by E. Nesbit, Iron Hans: A Grimms’ Fairy Tale, retold by Stephen Mitchell, Lady Liberty: A Biography, and Jack’s Path of Courage, both written by Doreen Rappaport. His books have won several awards, including four Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor, two Oppenheim Gold Seal Awards, and an International Reading Association Children’s Book Award. His illustrations have been exhibited at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, and at the Brandywine River Museum. Matt lives in Maine with his wife and two daughters, and he invites you to visit him online at matttavares.com.

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Kadir Nelson

About the Illustrator

Kadir Nelson is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the Caldecott Medal–winning The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; the New York Times bestselling We Are the Ship, winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor as well as the Sibert Award Medal; and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, which was an NAACP Image Award winner, Caldecott Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner. His work has appeared in many publications, including Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and The New Yorker. Nelson’s original paintings are in the permanent collections of the United States House of Representatives, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Kadir lives in Southern California and invites you to visit him online at kadirnelson.com.

Learn more about this illustrator