Americana Adventure
Grade 1–6—This book takes the search-and-find game to a new level, providing a fun entry into history. An opening rhyme gives readers an overview of all they're meant to find on these animated pages. They are asked to count the Uncle Sam hats, find the bald eagles, and identify all of the presidents. The faces of other famous Americans are also identifiable, such as Babe Ruth, Elvis, and Henry Ford. The final two pages list all of the individuals depicted, the authors of various quotes, and clues to the puzzles. The book is set up like a treasure hunt, a party game with clues from Aunt Jeanne as she leads her nephew around the country. Each page focuses on a new sight, be it a city such as New York, Boston, or San Francisco, or a place—a ballpark, a rodeo, or Mount Rushmore. The illustrations are delightful, full of energy, color, and thoughtful composition. They are jumbled but not random. Most of the people have cartoon faces, smooth and round and sweet, but interspersed among them as part of the crowd are true-to-life portraits—Louis Armstrong plays his horn on a riverboat and John Wayne watches the rodeo. Young readers will be engaged by all there is to search and find among these pages. This could be a treasured stepping stone to a greater understanding of American culture and history.—Martha Topol, Traverse Heights Elementary School, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.