Abe Lincoln Loved Animals
PreSchool-Grade 3—Using clearly defined sources to provide an accurate account, Jackson offers a warm portrait of Lincoln's love of animals. From his distaste for hunting to the many pets that shared his life, readers gain a sense of the gentle side of this famous president. Ettlinger's illustrations present an aggrandized view of him as a well-dressed boy (sporting a clean white shirt and vest) witnessing and interacting with the creatures in his environment. The visual depiction of one event is not accurate; Abraham is pictured grieving over a dead turkey in a field on a warm, sunny day when, in fact, he shot the bird through a hole in the cabin wall in winter. Still, this view of Lincoln is worthwhile for the history it aggregates. From the turkey he killed to the one he pardoned, saving him from a Thanksgiving dinner in the White House, Lincoln's acts toward animals are chronicled. Animal lovers will appreciate this side of the man's story.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.