for reading aloud. In this tribute to the American flag, each right-hand page of the book is filled with a colorful painting, while the facing page contains a smaller picture, a four-line verse, and several facts about the flag. For instance, one spread reads: A teacher raises a radiant flag / To let the children know / The schoolyard is a place to come / for the chance to learn and grow. The large illustration depicts flag-raising at a log schoolhouse. Other topics include the making of the country's first flag and the writing of The Star Spangled Banner as well as the flying of the flag on Lincoln's funeral train, at the Olympics, at ports of entry to the U.S., and on the moon. There's no hint of controversy here, just a bit of flag waving to celebrate the history of the Stars and Stripes. Although both verse and illustration seem awkward at times, libraries with a demand for the subject at this grade level will find this a useful resource. (Reviewed January 1 & 15, 1996)

The series of vague, corny images presented in rhyming verse do little to enhance understanding of the origins and meaning of the American flag. Along with the accompanying paintings, information boxes on each page of text flesh out the poem, addressing topics from the history of the Pledge of Allegiance to the placing of the American flag on the moon; yet there is no coherent narrative tying the vignettes together.

Gr 1-6--A poetical history of the U.S. flag. Each double-page spread features a four-line, rhymed verse of mediocre quality and a box of well- and little-known trivia on the left, and a full-page painting on the right. The stronger illustrations include such moving scenes as the train carrying Lincoln's coffin, the Vietnam War Memorial, and an astronaut walking on the moon with a U.S. flag reflected in his visor. Other pictures are less effective--the ill-proportioned, misshapen hands on several figures are distracting. Overall, however, the bold, detailed paintings in muted colors help to emphasize the patriotic theme. An additional purchase.--Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL

Parallel texts (celebratory verse above, boxed historical information below) and burnished oil paintings combine in this paean to the American flag. <p> Parallel texts (celebratory verse above, boxed historical information below) and burnished oil paintings combine in this paean to the American flag. The awkward verse (``The many connotations/For which our banner stands/Reflect our country's best intentions/And the people of this land'') adds little to the effort, and although the boxed text correctly states that no one knows who made the very first Stars and Stripes, both poem and illustration (which shows the needlework of a lefthanded seamstress) tend to perpetuate the Betsy Ross legend. Another oddity: In the spread depicting the use of the flag at sporting events, the athlete shown is almost certainly Jesse Owens, yet his name and the significance of his Olympic victory are not mentioned. The book is chiefly interesting for its depiction of the many ways in which the flag is used, e.g., to denote government buildings and official ports of entry, to mark the visits of explorers to remote regions, to memorialize fallen heroes, and to symbolize solidarity in parades and protest marches. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6+)</p> "