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Overview
Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed author, artist, and filmmaker. He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and graduated from the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. He also studied at the Royal College of Art in London. His picture books for children include Play, Mozart, Play!; the Caldecott Honor Books Tibet: Through the Red Box and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei; the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Tree of Life: Charles Darwin; and several popular books inspired by his own children, such as Madlenka and Fire Truck. He has also illustrated bestselling books written by Jack Prelutsky, among them Scranimals and The Dragons are Singing Tonight.
Gives information about each state, including capital, motto, state tree, state bird, source of name, and date of statehood.
Synopsis
Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed author, artist, and filmmaker. He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and graduated from the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. He also studied at the Royal College of Art in London. His picture books for children include Play, Mozart, Play!; the Caldecott Honor Books Tibet: Through the Red Box and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei; the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Tree of Life: Charles Darwin; and several popular books inspired by his own children, such as Madlenka and Fire Truck. He has also illustrated bestselling books written by Jack Prelutsky, among them Scranimals and The Dragons are Singing Tonight.
Publishers Weekly
Uncle Sam conducts the patriotic engine of this line of 50 railroad cars (one per state), and Washington, D.C., brings up the rear as caboose. Czechoslovakian-born Sis combines his love for his adopted country (his home for more than two decades) with his admiration for antique circus wagons (from an introductory note). The cars appear chronologically, according to their date of statehood. Readers will pore over the unique design of each, which incorporates the state's flag, motto, nickname and the genesis of its name, as well as labeled images of the state tree, flower and bird. Underneath the cars, Sis lists the state capital, then repeats the state tree, flower and bird, adding a piece of trivia (e.g., "In Barrow, Alaska's northernmost point, the sun doesn't set for 84 days during the summer months"). Given the prescribed space allotted to each state, the duplication of some of these facts comes at the expense of additional information. But the wagons teem with interesting details (explained in an endnote); they include miniature portraits of presidents or other celebrities who hail from the state (Ben Franklin tops the Pennsylvania circus wagon), milestones (Ohio had the first professional baseball team; women could first vote in Wyoming) and relevant symbols (Mount Rushmore for South Dakota). Sis's signature fine black line limns entire vignettes while his watercolor wash adds depth and perspective. He gives both youngsters hungry for state facts and those casting about for unusual historical morsels ample reason to climb aboard this festive train. Ages 6-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewThe U.S. of A. is riding the rails in this informative, eye-catching read from award-winning author-illustrator Peter Sís. Inspired by antique circus wagons at the Circus World Museum, Sís creates a colorful American-themed train, dedicating each page to a different state (plus one for Washington, D.C.), with each state's particular statistics and symbols front and center. The author organizes his train according to when statehood was achieved, so he begins with Delaware and lists its capital, state tree, state flower, state bird, and other symbols. Sís includes other basic facts about Delaware, too, such as its nickname and motto, building all of the state's symbols into the design of the train car; by combining his own illustrative perspective with old-fashioned flair, he is able to show off Delaware's uniqueness. From there, readers will be fascinated by the other states' train cars -- including Kentucky's horse theme and Utah's beehive and industry design -- all rounded out with Washington, D.C., as the caboose, a scene of children attending a U.S.A.-symboled circus, and a lengthy note about the illustrations in the book. It goes without saying that for Sís fans, this impressive effort is a welcome addition to collections, thanks to the author-illustrator's particular attention to detail and style. Parents and educators of children in lower grades will find this a handy, eye-catching reference tool as well, making a fun starting point for those not wholly familiar with Sís's work. Matt Warner
Publishers Weekly
Uncle Sam conducts the patriotic engine of this line of 50 railroad cars (one per state), and Washington, D.C., brings up the rear as caboose. Czechoslovakian-born Sis combines his love for his adopted country (his home for more than two decades) with his admiration for antique circus wagons (from an introductory note). The cars appear chronologically, according to their date of statehood. Readers will pore over the unique design of each, which incorporates the state's flag, motto, nickname and the genesis of its name, as well as labeled images of the state tree, flower and bird. Underneath the cars, Sis lists the state capital, then repeats the state tree, flower and bird, adding a piece of trivia (e.g., "In Barrow, Alaska's northernmost point, the sun doesn't set for 84 days during the summer months"). Given the prescribed space allotted to each state, the duplication of some of these facts comes at the expense of additional information. But the wagons teem with interesting details (explained in an endnote); they include miniature portraits of presidents or other celebrities who hail from the state (Ben Franklin tops the Pennsylvania circus wagon), milestones (Ohio had the first professional baseball team; women could first vote in Wyoming) and relevant symbols (Mount Rushmore for South Dakota). Sis's signature fine black line limns entire vignettes while his watercolor wash adds depth and perspective. He gives both youngsters hungry for state facts and those casting about for unusual historical morsels ample reason to climb aboard this festive train. Ages 6-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
It is time to celebrate the United States in this visual cornucopia of historical facts. State by state, Peter Sis provides rich details about each of the nation's states, as well as the District of Columbia. States are presented in order of their admission to statehood, and Washington, D.C. follows at the end. From Delaware on, readers learn about each state's capital, its official bird, tree, and flower. They also learn what each one was named for, the dates of statehood, and other facts. To say that Sis' illustrations are richly detailed is an understatement. Each page is a visual feast stuffed to the brim with hints of information about the history, society, and people of each area. The sources of inspiration for many of the illustrations are provided in the accompanying notes, but readers are sure to have a great time trying to decode the book's secrets on their own. The concept for the book is that this is a train of states akin to the hand-carved and hand-painted antique circus wagons of old. By the book's end, the train has rolled into town, and all the people flock to the big, American flag tent to see the performers, who are living embodiments of the states themselves. Readers will enjoy this fun approach to social studies! 2004, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, Ages 4 to 8.—Heidi Hauser Green