Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama Illustrated by Loren Long Publisher: Random House Children's Books Date: November 16th, 2010 Hardcover: 40 pages
In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America's children.
Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans and the innocence and promise of childhood.
This beautiful book celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans, from our nation's founders to generations to come. It is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths. It is a treasure to cherish with your family forever.
Inside Look:
Donation information:
The President will donate after-tax proceeds from his children’s book to a scholarship program run by the Fisher House Foundation dedicated to providing scholarships to the children of fallen and disabled service members. This scholarship fund will be a subset of the Fisher House Foundation’s current Scholarship for Military Children Program.
Please visit www.fisherhouse.org for additional details.
Under the Scholarship for Military Children Program, Fisher House Foundation has provided more than $8.3 million in scholarships over the past ten years. This program will enable Fisher House Foundation to provide additional scholarships dedicated to those children whose parents have died or become disabled in the service of our country.
Book Trailer:
Purchasing Information:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | The Book Depository | Random House
My Thoughts:
This is a beautifully-simple book that delivers a powerful message. The illustrations are uncomplicated and represent children from all different backgrounds. Each page focuses on a child with the sentence"Have I told you that you are _____?" Then the right side depicts a historical figure and some of what they did that represented that trait. There are examples posted above.
This will be a book I read to my daughter often. As she gets older and learns more about herself, I hope to introduce her to these characters that each had enormous strength and courage to follow their dreams. The last page has additional information about each historical figure so older children can learn more.
Regardless of political thoughts or differences, this book is an amazing resource for children. The most important thing is for kids to know they are special and can achieve whatever they set their minds to. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters gave me chills and represented that message throughout the book. I'm excited to explain each character to my daughter someday so she will know how important it is to have dreams.