I Pledge Allegiance
Whether kids want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or respectfully  decline, this straightforward and playfully illustrated guide clears up what the  pledge really means--word by word, and line by line.Two pledge-loving literacy experts (Michael Sampson and Bill Martin, Jr.) and  one polite pledge-abstainer (Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Chris Raschka)  have come together to explicate America's time-honored oath in plain,  kid-friendly language: "I pledge (A pledge is a promise) allegiance to  (Allegiance is loyalty) the flag (A flag is a symbol that stands for a place, a  thing, or an idea. Making a promise to a flag usually means the same thing as  making a promise to whatever the flag stands for.)." Sampson and Martin's  annotations adequately convey the essential meaning behind the words, although  understandably less so in the thornier sections: "under God (Many people believe  that a democracy is a reflection of how God thinks--every single person is  important.)"I Pledge Allegiancealso covers some of the history behind the pledge and  the flag, but what kids will probably remember best--aside from the pledge  itself--is Raschka's clever, winning collage work, which somehow manages to sum  up ideas like liberty, justice, and God with a few quick strokes and scraps.  (Ages 4 to 8)--Paul  Hughes--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.