ALA Booklist (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

A tiny cottage in a Scottish village was home to young Andrew Carnegie until his family sailed for America in 1848. There he helped support them with jobs as a bobbin boy, a messenger, and a telegraph operator. Carnegie, who loved reading and learning, frequently visited a private library that was open to him each Saturday. Years later, Carnegie became wealthy and returned to Scotland to build a library in his old village, one of more than 2,500 public libraries he would build around the world. The book's back matter offers more details of Carnegie's life and achievements. Straightforward and accessible, the text tells a familiar rags-to-riches immigrant story with an unusual ending usual in that the man became one of the richest in the world and his philanthropy built libraries "so that someday someone like you could feel the joy of borrowing a book like this." The large, painterly illustrations use simplified forms and areas of flat color in pleasing compositions. An effective and quite pleasing showcase of an important literary figure.

Kirkus Reviews

Certainly the world of public libraries would be poorer without the substantial contribution of Andrew Carnegie.This picture-book biography outlines the rags-to-riches story of the Scottish immigrant's journey as a child to the United States and his rapid succession through jobs to one with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. With money earned from his managerial role, he began the shrewd investing in railway, oil, iron, and steel companies that led to his extreme wealth. He never forgot the pleasure he got from books borrowed as a young man from Col. Anderson's private library in Pittsburgh. This gentleman allowed "young workers" access every Saturday. The accompanying illustration shows young Andrew ascending a ladder up a vast wall of books that occupies the entire page. When Carnegie grew rich, he "used his own money to build public libraries so others could have the same opportunity." Carnegie's story is told in methodical, plain fashion, with the more controversial aspects of his career as a union-busting robber baron confined to a paragraph in backmatter. Illustrations feature a flattened, naïve style in a limited palette dependent on blues and browns, appropriate to the 19th-century period. An unlabeled world map highlights the far-flung locations of Carnegie libraries. A useful if uncomplicated way of teaching "that we can all make a real difference when we choose to give back." (sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In a crisply written tribute to industrialist/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Larsen (A Squiggly Story) outlines his path from a hardworking child of struggling Scottish immigrants to a wealthy businessman who established some 2,500 public libraries, among other endeavors. Maurey (The Specific Ocean) works in a subdued folk art style and a pale, creamy palette, creating a serene mix of quiet domestic scenes, busy urban landscapes, and, in one spread, a towering library that captivated a young Carnegie. It-s an accessible, admiring portrait, though an afterword about Carnegie-s legacy notes that -his relationship with works in his own factories was complicated,- and an accompanying photo shows a Carnegie Steel Plant in Pennsylvania, -the site of a deadly union-busting conflict.- Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Literary. (Aug.)

School Library Journal (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

K-Gr 3Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1848. Helping to support his family, Carnegie worked in a cotton mill. Later he became a messenger boy and then a telegraph operator with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Always a hard worker, Carnegie saved and invested his earnings. By age 35 he was a very rich man. Selling his steel mills to J.P. Morgan, Carnegie was able to fulfill his lifelong desire to give away half a billion dollars. Much of the money went to the building of libraries across the United States and around the globe. This title focuses on Carnegie's love of learning and libraries. The text is lyrical, but the highlight of the volume is Maurey's stylized drawings, which depict Carnegie in the various stages of his life. Additional information at the end of the book touches on Carnegie's dislike of labor unions, but otherwise the narrative is upbeat. VERDICT This portrayal of Carnegie and his legacy is romanticized but no doubt will appeal to young elementary school students. Large collections may want to consider.Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community College, Mt. Carmel