Teddy Roosevelt Books

Today is Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday, our 26th President of the United States.  My favorite president!  Here are some great picture books about him!

Teedie:  The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt by Don Brown  The author/illustrator has done many other books about historical figures, and you won't be disappointed with this one either!  This covers Teddy's life all the way from childhood through the presidency.  And boy, does it have some great illustrations!  When Teedie is sick with asthma, you'll want to swaddle him in your arms just like his mama is doing.  My favorite illustration is in a bar in the Badlands.  The text reads:  "When a gun-toting cowboy made fun of Teddy's eyeglasses, he flattened the cowboy with one punch."  The cowboy is flying back across the room with his hat going the opposite direction.  Teedie began life as a timid, nervous, sickly boy.  This is his story of how he gained his larger than life persona through hard work, determination, intelligence and spunk.

The Legend of the Teddy Bear by Frank Murphy, Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen  What child doesn't love their teddy bear?  This is the true story of Teddy refusing to shoot a bear who was tied up, the political cartoon that moved a nation, and the candy shop owners who named their bears after the beloved president.  Said Teddy:  "I don't think my name is likely to be worth much in the toy bear business, but you are welcome to use it."  Boy, was he wrong about that one!!

What To Do About Alice?  by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham  This book had my daughter laughing out loud and inspired me to go find an adult book about Alice Roosevelt.  In fact, the first time we read it, she had me re-read it three more times!  It goes something like this:  Teddy had a small problem.  It wasn't bears or wars or outlaws -- but his daughter Alice.  "Father called it 'running riot'.  Alice called it 'eating up the world'."  As a child, Alice was a handful.  But Teddy's problems really began when he moved into the White House when Alice was 17.  Her exploits made her tabloid fodder and earned her the nickname "Princess Alice" while a goodwill ambassador.  However, Alice did grow up to become one of Teddy's most trusted advisers and had a long life in Washington politics.  You've gotta read this book!

Learn More:

• The Theodore Roosevelt Association has something for everyone.  Stuff for kids, stuff for teachers, political cartoons, speeches, quotations, his record -- anything you could possibly want!!
  

• The Theodore Roosevelt Center also has something for everyone.  It has a really cool kid's section called Kids' Corral.  In there you can find letters Teddy wrote to his children, things to ponder, and lots of interesting facts.   

• Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt has lots of pictures.

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park is in North Dakota.  Said Teddy:  "I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota."

• For adults,  I really enjoyed reading the Pulitzer Prize winning biography The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.  This covers Teddy's up until he wins the presidency.  He wrote a follow-up book to this one that covered his presidency, called Theodore Rex (but I haven't read it yet.  It's on my list of books to read!).

• I was totally charmed by Alice Roosevelt.  I have just started reading Alice:  Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery. 
  

The Once Upon a Time Map Book

The Once Upon a Time Map Book by B.G. Hennessy and illustrated by Peter Joyce

Teaching map reading skills just got a lot more fun.  Using keys, coordinates, and a compass rose, follow detailed tour routes of fairy book lands.  Visit Neverland with Peter Pan, the Land of Oz with Dorothy, Wonderland with Alice, the Giant's Kingdom with Jack, Aladdin's Kingdom with the Genie, and the Enchanted Forest with Snow White.  Each tour has points of interest to look out for as well as hidden objects to find, and is strewn with danger as well! 

My daughter loves visiting Neverland.  The tour starts like this:  "Moor your boat at Mermaid Cove (E1).  Take the sandy path east.  Where the path splits go south through the jungle."  You're using coordinates and a compass rose already -- and you've just started!  You'll want to keep your eyes peeled for the Jolly Roger anchored in Pirate's Cove, Wendy's house, and Peter's hideout (a chimney sticking out of the ground!).  Try to find the treasure chest, and see if you can find seven Lost Boys as well.  The key shows how long a pirate mile is, and shows you the difference between a sandy path, a rocky path, the war path (which is littered with skulls), and a coastal path.

We've spent many an afternoon visiting these enchanted lands.  The most cool thing about this book?  You're sneaking in learning, and your kids won't even suspect it!

Learn More:

• Learning Map Skills:  This is a collection of websites from North Canton City Schools, and it has some AWESOME links on it.  It's categorized by "Online Activities", "Resources", 'Lets Make Some Maps!", and "Lesson Plans and Activities".
  

• While out on a walk in your neighborhood, make a map.  Note street names, landmarks (that house with the crazy rhino statue), their friends' houses and stores.  Then when you get home, challenge your child:  I went 2 blocks north and 1 block west -- where am I? 
  

• Google Maps:  Type in your address at this site.  When you click on your house on the map, does it say "Street View" in the window?  It gives you a virtual walking tour of your neighborhood.  Compare it to map you made above.  It's also fun to look at your neighborhood in the Satellite view as well.

• Collect maps from amusement parks, zoos, national parks, IKEA -- anywhere you go.  Keep them where your child can easily grab them and peruse at their leisure.  My daughter makes up stories using these maps (she's 4).   We also use Google Maps in their Satellite view and compare them.  She has fun looking at Disneyland in Google's satellite view and comparing it to the Disneyland map.
  

The Journey That Saved Curious George

The Journey That Saved Curious George:  The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise Borden and illustrated by Allan Drummond

We all know the story of Curious George:  the Man with the Yellow Hat found George in Africa and brought him home, thus beginning the monkey's adventures.  But did you know that George was originally called "Fifi", and there was a journey fraught with danger that the Reys undertook to save both the manuscript and their lives? 

Hans Augusto Reyersbach and Margarete Waldstein were both born Jews in Germany.  Hans moved to Brazil after World War One where he watched monkeys in the Amazon while wearing a broad hat (yellow hat, anyone?).  There he met Margarete and they married, living in an apartment with two pet marmosets -- very mischevious monkeys.  At this time the Reys changed their name to be something easier for the Brazilians to pronounce, and Margaret and H. A. Rey were born.

The Reys moved to Paris and began writing and illustrating books for children, and in 1939 began a new manuscript about a monkey named Fifi, who was very curious and always getting into trouble.  World War Two began, and being Jews in Europe, the Reys fled to save their lives.  They packed what they could onto their backs (including the Fifi manuscript) and started a journey on bikes south to Lisbon, Portugal, alternating biking and train rides.   From there they made it safely to America, and Curious George was published in 1941.

Much is to be learned from the primary sources in this book, including photographs, diary exerpts and passports.  My daughter particularly enjoyed following the Rey's journeys on the maps inside the covers of the books.  For Curious George lovers of all ages.

Learn More:

• Lesson plans from the publisher to go along with the book and a list of all Curious George books

• Did you know that the H. A. Rey also published two books on constellation identification?  He drew the constellations so they actually look like what they're supposed to resemble.  You'll never have problems identifying the constellations again!  The Stars:  A New Way to See Them and Find the Constellations can both be found in my store (link on left hand side).

• "Curious George" is now an animated tv-show on PBS that teaches math and science skills.  We LOVE it at our house!! 

• World War II for elementary students from the eMints National Center (University of Missouri College of Education).  Included is a link to:  Children of WWII, where you can find out what it was like for children to live during the war