Historical Picture Books

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Some of the best illustrations aren't realistic, at least not in the way the Digital Age generation has come to define realism (i.e., as perfect photographic replication). And we're not promoting Modern Art, either: far be if from us to prefer squiggles or big shapeless color patches to depictions of actual landscapes and people. What we are promoting is the exercise of the artist's art and skills, not simply as an imitator, but as a revelator and interpreter of facts.

This emphasis on artistic creativity has largely informed our selection of historical picture books. Do all of the d'Aulaire illustrations perfectly resemble key figures and events of the past? Not at all, but they do consistently capture the spirit of American history and historical figures, portraying each as they were perceived and not necessarily how they actually were. Purists may balk at this approach, but rest assured that the textual content of these books is accurate and trustworthy.

Which brings us to one of the essential aspects of history study: interpretation. If it's pure authenticity you want, photographs will do just fine, whether of individuals, places, artifacts, or buildings. But facts are only one side of history, and as far as one's worldview goes, probably not even the most important part. Not that you can do without them, but learning to read the facts and interpret them is the only reason learning about the past is a worthwhile endeavor.

Good historical picture books can help you cultivate this skill, especially when teaching younger students who aren't ready to make abstract connections between seemingly disparate facts. For instance, a picture book about the American Civil War could simply depict images of battle....or, the artist could use dark colors and heavy strokes to show both the evils of warfare as well as the deep racial themes and animosities shared by both sides throughout the War Between the States.

Some of our favorite books of the latter kind are those by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire. Each of these volumes is dedicated to an important American historical figure like Abraham Lincoln, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Leif Erickson, and each is well-known for its lovely lithograph prints. The accompanying text is poetic and accessible, offering a child's-eye view of people history has generally turned into mythic characters.

In a similar vein, though with cartoon-y illustrations, the Jean Fritz books are perennially popular, and justly so. These are a little more fact- and text-heavy, though still written in story form, and often focus on the more eccentric elements of famous peoples' personalities. Many of the figures covered in this series are heroes of the American War for Independence, and make excellent supplements to a study of the Colonial and New Nation eras.

A newer series from Banner of Truth Trust is destined to be among our favorites: the Heroes of the Faith books by Sinclair B. Ferguson, a Presbyterian pastor and theologian. Each book covers a covers an important church father (Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Irenaeus) and is illustrated with somewhat stylized full-color pictures. Kids are introduced to famous saints, as well as to their basic ideas and significance, all in a format they'll welcome.

There are so many other excellent historical picture books we'd like to introduce you to, but it's probably easier for us and you to just let you browse our collection. For the most part, only narrative histories (history in story form) have made their way into this category, though there are a few exceptions. The important thing to remember is that it's never too early to introduce kids to the study of the past, and when they're particularly interested in pictures is as good a time as any to start.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

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Historical Picture Books

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	5,000-Year-Old Puzzle by Claudia Logan, illustrated by Melissa Sweet 1^st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 3rd-6th grade in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG) $21.99 $9.50 (1 in stock)
	Abraham Lincoln by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire 75th Anniversary Edition from Beautiful Feet Books Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade 1940 Caldecott Medal winner in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Abraham Lincoln (hardcover) by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire; edited by Rea Berg 75th Anniversary from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 1st-6th grade 1940 Caldecott Medal winner in Biographies (Location: BIO) $21.95
	Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Non-Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES) $7.99
	America's Lost Dream One Nation Under God by Tom Dooley from Master Books American History for 4th-6th grade in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH) $12.79 $10.00 (2 in stock)
	America's Paul Revere by Esther Forbes from Sandpiper Books Biography for 2nd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $12.99
	Bach's Goldberg Variations by Anna Harwell Celenza & JoAnn E. Kitchel from Charlesbridge Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP) $16.95
	Bard of Avon Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema from William Morrow & Company Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.99
	Before There Was Mozart The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome 2nd ed. from Beautiful Feet Books for 1st-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $12.95
	Benjamin Franklin by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Beautiful Feet Books Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Bill Peet An Autobiography by Bill Peet from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 4th-8th grade 1990 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99
	BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood from Candlewick Press for 4th-6th grade 2021 Newbery Honor Book in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.99
	Buffalo Bill by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Beautiful Feet Books Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books for 4th-6th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $6.99
	Cleopatra by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema from William Morrow & Company Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Discovery of the Americas by Betsy & Giulio Maestro from HarperTrophy for 3rd-6th grade in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP) $9.99
	Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney 1^st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press for 3rd-6th grade 1999 Caldecott Honor Book in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99
	George vs. George The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer Reprint from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $6.95
	George Washington by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Beautiful Feet Books Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	George Washington by Cheryl Harness from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.99
	Good Queen Bess The Story of Elizabeth I of England by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema from HarperCollins Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $18.99
	Gregor Mendel The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe Reprint from Harry N. Abrams, Inc. for 4th-6th grade 2007 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book in Biographies (Location: BIO) $9.95
	Haydn's Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza & JoAnn E. Kitchel from Charlesbridge Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP) $16.95
	Henry VIII Brilliant Brits by Richard Brassey for 4th-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.95
	If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War by Kay Moore from Perfection Learning for 2nd-6th grade in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW) $16.60
	If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution If You Were There by Elizabeth Levy from Scholastic Inc. Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN) $7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island If You Were There by Ellen Levine & Wayne Parmenter from Scholastic Inc. Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM) $6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Irenaeus of Lyons The Man Who Wrote Books Heroes of the Faith by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson from Banner of Truth Trust for 3rd-6th grade in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID) $14.00
	Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley from HarperCollins Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.99
	Joan of Arc by M. Boutet De Monvel from Beautiful Feet Books for 4th-7th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $13.95
	John Calvin Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Simonetta Carr 1^st edition from Reformation Heritage Books for 2nd-6th grade in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID) $18.00
	Journey That Saved Curious George The True Wartime Escape of Margaret and H. A. Rey by Louise W. Borden from HMH Books for Young Readers for 3rd-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.99
	Junipero Serra: Founder of the California Missions by Linda Gondosch, Illustrated by Emmanuel Beaudesson from Ignatius Press for 5th-8th grade in California State (Location: HISA-19CGR) $14.99
	Karl, Get Out of the Garden! by Anita Sanchez from Charlesbridge in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.99
	Leif the Lucky by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Leif the Lucky by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from University of Minnesota Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley from HarperCollins Biography for 3rd-6th grade 1997 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.99
	Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky from Little, Brown & Company Biography for 2nd-5th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $18.99 $12.00 (2 in stock)
	Little Ships The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II by Louise Borden from Aladdin Paperbacks for 2nd-6th grade in WWII: European Theater (Location: HISA-20WW2E) $8.99
	Lives of the Musicians Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull from Sandpiper Books for 4th-6th grade in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS) $8.99
	Lost City The Discovery of Machu Picchu by Ted Lewin Reprint from Puffin Books for 3rd-7th grade in Latin & South America (Location: HISMC-LAT) $8.99
	Lost Colony of Roanoke by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Hudson Talbott from Putnam Juvenile for 2nd-6th grade in New World Colonization (Location: HISA-17NW) $18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Making It Go: The Life and Work of Robert Fulton Physical Science by Don Herweck from Teacher Created Materials, Inc. for 4th-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.00
	Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson from J. Paul Getty Museum Picture Books for 2nd-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $19.95
	Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven from Sleeping Bear Press for 3rd-6th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $17.95
	Mill by David Macaulay from Houghton Mifflin for 4th-8th grade in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER) $12.99
	More Perfect Union The Story of Our Constitution The American Story Series by Betsy & Giulio Maestro from HarperCollins Historical Reference for 2nd-6th grade in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN) $11.99
	Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki from HarperCollins Non-fiction for 2nd-6th grade in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Peter the Great by Diane Stanley from William Morrow & Company Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.99 $12.00 (2 in stock)
	Pictures at an Exhibition by Anna Harwell Celenza & JoAnn E. Kitchel from Charlesbridge Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP) $16.95
	Polycarp of Smyrna The Man Whose Faith Lasted Heroes of the Faith by Sinclair B. Ferguson from Banner of Truth Trust for 3rd-6th grade in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID) $10.00
	Pyramid by David Macaulay from Houghton Mifflin Ancient Egyptian Architecture for 4th-8th grade in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER) $12.99 $7.00 (4 in stock)
	Revolutionary John Adams by Cheryl Harness Reprint from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.95
	Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier from Yearling American History for 2nd-6th grade in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER) $10.99
	Starry Messenger Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis from Square Fish Publishing Picture Book Biography for 3rd-6th grade 1997 Caldecott Honor Book in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.99
	Story of the Declaration of Independence Cornerstones of Freedom series by R. Conrad Stein from Scholastic Inc. American History Reference for 4th-6th grade in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN) $5.95
	Struggle for a Continent The French and Indian Wars 1689-1763 The American Story Series by Betsy & Giulio Maestro from HarperCollins Historical Reference for 3rd-6th grade in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL) $18.99
	Ten Kings and the Worlds They Ruled by Milton Meltzer 1^st edition from Orchard Books Picture Book Biography for 3rd-7th grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $16.00 $15.00 (1 in stock)
	Ten Mile Day And the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann Fraser from Henry Holt and Company Historical Non-Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Transcontinental Railroad (Location: HISA-19TRR) $10.99
	They're Off! The Story of the Pony Express by Cheryl Harness from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Pony Express (1860-1861) (Location: HISA-19PEX) $7.99
	Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness Reprint from National Geographic for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	To Fly The Story of the Wright Brothers by Wendie C. Old, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker from Clarion Books for 4th-6th grade 2003 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA) $17.99
	Top of the World Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins from Houghton Mifflin for 4th-6th grade 2000 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP) $6.95
	Voice of Her Own The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet by Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Paul Lee from Candlewick Press for 3rd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99
	War to End All Wars World War I by Russell Freedman from HMH Books for Young Readers for 4th-8th grade in World War I (1914-1919) (Location: HISA-20WW1) $11.99
	We the People The Story of Our Constitution by Lynne Cheney Reprint from Simon and Schuster for 4th-6th grade in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN) $9.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
	We the People The Constitution of the United States by Peter Spier from Doubleday & Company for 2nd-6th grade in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF) $10.99
	What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books for 4th-6th grade in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN) $6.99 $3.50 (3 in stock)
	Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? from PaperStar Books in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL) $6.99
	Wildheart from Yosemite Conservancy for 2nd-5th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $12.99
	World Made New Why the Age of Exploration Happened & How it Changed the World by Marc Aronson & John W. Glenn from National Geographic for 3rd-7th grade in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP) $17.95

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