Patriotic Picture Books For 4th of July

The 4th of July will be here in a blink of an eye and before you start making those red ,white .and blue desserts check out some of these great patriotic books for kids. Use fun events and holidays like the 4th of July to teach kids more about their country and it’s history. Don’t worry if you don’t get a chance to find these books before the 4th because kids love to relate events in their lives to books and reading them after will be great for that.  Do you have favorite patriotic picture books for 4th of July that we skipped? Please add it’s title and why you love it in the comments so this list can keep growing .

America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates and illustrated by Chris Gall is a stunning book. The text will be familiar to you as it’s the original poem that most of us know as the song America The Beautiful. The illustrator is a descendent of the writer and pays homage to his family legacy with this beautiful book. Each page illustrates the lyrics perfectly while showcasing different parts of the country, it’s history and simple nostalgia. My son liked it, and particularly loved the page with 9-11 firefighters raising the flag , which brought tears to my eyes.  At the end of the book there are short blurbs about each illustration for further information as well.

 

George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeline Comora is a funny telling of how George Washington got those famous false teeth. What I like so much about this book is that it also tells the story of the Revolutionary War. I think the brilliant thing about this book is it shows that George Washington wasn’t the super hero that he is often portrayed as. This makes him , his story and American history in general way more accessible to young kids. I can’t ignore the really fantastic tertiary lesson about dental hygiene as well.

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin is probably the first book most teachers will mention when you ask for a picture book about elections. It’s a great book about a duck who overthrows his farmer and ends up moving up in politics until he is elected President. With each step on the political ladder Duck realizes that he doesn’t like the job and wants something better only to discover that with each move up the workload increases too. I love that that teaches readers that being a leader isn’t about being the bossy one but rather having the most responsibility . My son got that immediately and it opened a good dialog about what he thought being President really is like.I also love the book because there is a good dose of humor that only the adults will appreciate.

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio is fantastic. The very best part of this book is on the first page when the main character a little girl named Grace exclaims ” Where are the girls?” in response to her teacher hanging up a poster of all the presidents. If I wasn’t in a tent in the backyard while reading this with my son I would have stood up and given Grace a standing ovation. I can’t wait to read this to my daughter in a few years. I love how shocked the character is and I was really happy that my son was surprised that there have been no female presidents as well. Grace decides to run for president in the mock election for her grade at school and be the change. My love for this book doesn’t end with the wonderful example of basic feminism because next up the author tackles something oh so tricky; The Electoral College. The author does a great job explaining what can be a very confusing system used for American presidential elections and I bet more than a few parents reading this to their kids will get something out of it too. The story of Grace and her own campaign is sweet as well but the brilliance of this story are the complex lessons broken down so well for a young audience.

ABC USA by Martin Jarrie is another beautiful alphabet book!  Like most alphabet books it devotes a page to each letter with vibrant illustrations . Not everything in this book is by any means unique to the United States but most are. I specifically appreciated the I for Immigrants page, both from a historical and personal perspective. There are a lot of learning opportunities presented as well for kids of all ages like U for Underground Railroad  and V for Valley Forge so don’t dismiss this as a book only for young kids learning their ABCs.

Celebrate the 50 States! by Loreen Leedy is not a storybook about the 50 states but really an illustrated short-form non-fiction book about each and every state.  Each page features two states with a  few historical facts, a basic map of the state, and fun facts even parents probably don’t know! I love books like this and wasn’t surprised when my husband picked it up, leafed through it, and said “Hey, this is a pretty cool book.” It is. It is far too detailed to hold a young preschooler”™s attention but it a great reference book even for kids as young as 3, just don’t try to read the whole thing in one sitting. Older kids will like the trivia question posed for each state and checking their answers at the back of the book.

Wow! America! by Robert Neubecker was an instant hit with my son. Every time I read it I found something new and interesting. Readers follow along as a baby and his older sister who is running after him travel all around the country seeing wonderful things that make us all go “Wow!” Each page has a short title like “Wow Statue” for The Statue of Liberty, then a little more text to explain what the reader is looking at. The illustrations are detailed and we’ve played eye spy with this book more than a few times. This is a wonderful book and the map on the inside cover has been fun to play with as well, we like to find where various far off friends and family live. Go check this book out for sure.

America: My Land, Your Land, Our Land by W.Nikola-Lisa is a really interesting concept for a book. The book showcases how The United States is made up of drastic opposites. Each page is devoted to two opposing features such as bright and dark, yours and mine, old and young. Then the illustrations reflect these opposites. What makes it so interesting is that there isn’t one illustrator, there are 14!  Each showcasing their view of one of these opposites.  My son enjoyed this book because he is all about separating and classifying things right now and the text was short and the illustrations beautiful. Parents will probably enjoy it on a different level because many of the illustrations hold deeper meanings if you have some more mature knowledge about historical facts.

 

 

 

What Presidents Are Made Of by Hanoch Piven is a simple book that brings together a collection of presidential anecdotes that will probably make you laugh more than your kids but trust me they’ll still enjoy it. It humanizes iconic figures we know and makes readers curious to learn even more about these great men. The collage-style illustrations are beautiful and quite funny as well.

How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A by Marjorie Priceman didn’t disappoint one bit. I was worried after falling in love with How To Bake An Apple Pie and See The World that this couldn’t live up to my expectations. It did! This time she wasn’t looking for ingredients for the pie, but rather materials for her tools. She gathered wood in Washington for her rolling pin, cotton in Louisiana for pot holders granite in New Hampshire for her pastry slab, and more. What I wasn’t expecting of this book and loved was how she gathered natural resources and then processed them to make what she needed. I think this is a wonderful lesson about manufacturing and could be used for a launchpad for learning about so much more. Another gem I will be adding to my must-buy list.

The National Anthem (True Books, American Symbols) by Patrica Ryin Quiri is a great book for school-age children ( 5-10) to learn about how the American flag and anthem came about. I learned a lot from this book and I have a minor in American History! It talks about the evolution from a poem to an anthem, with easy text, great photos, and illustrations. I particularly liked seeing the author’s original handwritten poem. It creates a more personal connection to the song for readers and makes it even more special.

Presidents’ Day by Anne Rockwell is a perfect introduction to presidents, some of their major accomplishments, and some major points in American history. The story follows a class putting on a play and we learn about some of the most significant presidents as the children do. Even if President’s Day is months away you can use this book while learning about money, linking the various presidents on coins and bills, or for Independence day too! Very cute and age-appropriate for older preschoolers.

A is for America by Devin Scillian is a perfect mix of national pride and real facts. As a Canadian, I always feel strange critiquing works like this, I don’t want to sound too critical and that won’t be the case with this wonderful book. There are plenty of fantastic reasons to celebrate America and this book lays them on the table from A to Z !

Madam President by Lane Smith is a sweet story about a little girl who equates her life and daily routine with that of the President. My favorite part of the book was when it’s explained that a president must choose a cabinet and her’s is comprised of some real positions like Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense and some not like Secretary of Fantasy and Secretary of Pizza. While reading it with my son I had him guess real or not. The book also introduced my 5-year-old to the word veto which was fun for about 2 minutes. He’s since learned in our family I am the one with veto power. I really like this book because it breaks down what the President does into the daily life of a child and the best way to get kids interested in something is to make them relate to it.

Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton is such a cute book that we really enjoyed. The book is not so much about school as it is about how complicated adult problems can get and you can imagine how big they get for the President of The United States. First of all, I have to say I loved that when we started reading it my son said “The President should be African American.” I love that my son has no idea that there was a time when people didn’t think that could or should happen. Ok, proud moment aside the story follows Mr. President as he escapes his duties trying to make peace between Eastern European leaders and heads back to his old kindergarten class to remember what it’s all about. Of course, he ends up going back and using all the things he learned in kindergarten to make peace between the two leaders, I mean who can start a war with someone they’ve done the hokey pokey with? I like the message and the book can be a great tool to show kids how lucky they are they get to go to kindergarten, even the President wishes he could go back!

How to Bake an American Pie by Karma Wilson is sentimental, sweet, and probably should be reviewed by an American. The reason I say that is that it’s written to pull at your heart strings, make you feel pride in your country and I am sure it succeeds when the reader is American. But the same way I wouldn’t expect an American to get choked up singing “O Canada” the way I do, I just don’t get the full effect. Strictly as a book, this was a little too figurative for my son although he loved the illustrations of the dog and cat baking the pie and kept turning back to the page with rainbows. Older kids will recognize some of the text that is taken from America the Beautiful and will understand the figurative language, although may be put off by the illustrations that seem more geared towards little ones. I would love to hear from any Americans who have read this book to get your take!

Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet S. Wong is an awesome book. I am always awed by authors who can tackle complicated “adult” issues in the pages of a children’s book successfully. In this case, the issue is 1st generation identity and immigration, at least that’s my take. The little girl in this book is sulking around her parent’s store on the 4th of July. They are busy making Chinese food for customers she is sure won’t come, who would want Chinese food on such an American holiday is her rationale. Of course, there are layers about her connection to her ancestral culture and her own national pride. As a proud owner of a green card and a Canadian passport, I relate to this story, sure the differences are as deep or as obvious to an outsider but unlike the previous book when this book ended with fireworks I got tingles of pride for my adopted country. Fantastic book- and my son liked it too.

Hats off for the Fourth of July by Harriet Ziefert is a wonderful book for children who are just starting to understand what this holiday is all about. The book follows a parade with hints of what is next to come along, making the reader feel the same feelings real parade goer does as they stand on their tippy toes to see what is on its way. My son really enjoyed the book because it was packed with marching bands, motorcycles, and more.

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