ALA Booklist (Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

for reading alone. In what the jacket flap copy refers to as a fictional biography, Abe Lincoln reflects on his life one evening after the Civil War has ended, as he and his wife wait to go see a play. Turner's free-verse reminiscence gracefully ties images and themes from Lincoln's youth to those of his adult years. It is never clear whether thoughts ascribed to Lincoln, such as I'd read any chance I got and dreamed of freedom, of rising like a hawk into the sky to some fine, high place, are actually his or are the fictional part of the biography. Still, young people will hear the basic story of Lincoln's life and gain some appreciation for the man and his accomplishments. Minor's well-composed paintings, best seen from a little distance, effectively portray the man as he ages. Teachers looking for books to read aloud on Presidents Day may want to consider this one.

Horn Book

Abraham Lincoln remembers how he viewed the world as a young, poorly schooled Kentucky boy and reflects on his work as a storekeeper, a lawyer, and finally a politician. Illustrated with large pictures that set the scene and convey character, the free verse text portrays what Lincoln's emotional response to events may have been, rather than offering specific facts about his life. An endnote provides some background material.

Kirkus Reviews

This handsome and genuinely appealing collaboration transcends the usual picture-book biography genre. The author and artist impressively succeed in taking the well-known details of this oh-so-familiar life and shaping them into an accessible, affecting personal story. Experienced historical novelist Turner ( Dakota Dugout , 1985) chose to tell this remembrance in the imagined voice of Lincoln, setting it on the evening of April 14, 1865, just before he and wife Mary are about to leave for the theatre. Historians have made much of Lincoln's moodiness and melancholy at this moment in time; Turner reflects that conventional wisdom yet she does not make this a maudlin or sappily sentimental tale. Lincoln's voice is simple and steadying. In spare, restrained prose, he recounts his life story in a voice that resonates with an undertone of grief and loss. The effect is simple, fresh, and inspiring. Minor (who previously collaborated with Turner on the haunting 1997 Shaker Hearts ) is a prolific illustrator who has risen to the challenge of refreshing and refashioning time- and shop-worn events and images. His handsome and characteristically detailed acrylic paintings are perfectly pitched to Turner's tone, which is increasingly somber. Minor also doubled as the book's designer and makes effective use of white space, employs clean-edged line borders in red and white, and even includes occasional ghost images of Lincoln's distinctive signature. In the book's well-developed and inclusive "historical note," Turner reflects on Lincoln's pivotal role in the nation's history. Finally, she asserts that Lincoln's "words echo down the years to us, calling to us, reminding us of what it means to lead an ethical and courageous life." Memorable. (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

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

"The author chronologically organizes the biography into accessible vignettes, each accompanied by a finely detailed illustration marked by sharp, nearly photographic definitions," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 6-9. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Crisp, richly colored paintings accompany somber prose in this dreamy evocation of Lincoln's life and accomplishments, narrated in the first person by a mature president in the White House before an evening at the theater. The fictional memoir broadly describes the man's life from his youth in a Kentucky log cabin to the end of the Civil War; a concluding two-page historical note fills in some factual gaps and appraises readers of Lincoln's fate at the hands of John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater. Vivid full-page illustrations provide counterpoint to islands of verse; a rendering of Lincoln's signature and simple colonial drawings unify the text pages. The striking cover illustration of Lincoln framed in the doorway of a log cabin is memorable. Factual picture books for children are often betwixt and between, neither read casually nor sought as research material for reports. If properly placed, Abe Lincoln Remembers can satisfy both camps, though the solemnity of the presentation favors its use as an American history resource.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.