As a little girl growing up during the Civil War, Katharine Lee Bates grew up to become a poet, professor, and social activist. She not only wrote “America the Beautiful” but gave this anthem to America as a gift. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a suffragist who stood up for a woman’s right to vote and lived to cast her ballot in presidential elections, Katharine believed in the power of words to make a difference. In “America the Beautiful,” her vision of the nation as a great family, united from sea to shining sea, continues to uplift and inspire us all.
PRAISE for For Spacious Skies:
“Churnin tells that story in a spare and lively text beautifully complemented by double-page spreads highlighting Baumert’s gorgeous panoramic illustrations . . . A handsome volume befitting its subject.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The story ends on a high note in 1920, with Bates casting her ballot after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted voting rights to women . . . The richly colored, nicely composed artwork will help children visualize the period setting while enjoying the portrayals of Bates and beautiful landscapes. A picture-book biography of a notable American.”—Booklist
“Nancy Churnin has written a delightful book that helps children understand the many dimensions of my great-aunt Katharine Lee Bates. This book does an excellent job conveying her ardent passion for equal rights and for her country. She was a poet, a professor, and a world traveler, but she was first and foremost a citizen who loved America, in all its beauty and diversity.”—Katharine Lee Holland
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book as part of this tour.
For Spacious Skies is a beautifully illustrated picture book about the beloved poem written by Katharine Lee Bates, and what led to her writing it. The illustrations are absolutely phenomenal, showing the majestic beauty that inspired the poem that we all know as America’s anthem song.
Nancy Churnin’s elegant writing brings history forward in a vivid and fresh way. The book reminds us of the struggles for equality women faced in the days of Katharine Lee Bates, and how meaningful her work was for that time. I appreciate the book ending with Katharine Lee Bates in line to vote as women finally get that right.
I tried to read it with my 5-year-old in my lap, but it was a bit too long and over his head. I can see this being a more appropriate read for kids who can already read on their own. For Spacious Skies would be perfect for a grade school library and classroom.
The book is a wonderful story, a great history lesson, and enjoyable to visually peruse. With brilliant illustrations, it shows how much just one person can accomplish and the impact someone can have on their fellow people. I hope young girls find it especially empowering to read this illustrated biography.
Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of eight picture book biographies with a ninth due in 2021.
Beautiful Shades of Brown, The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring is A Mighty Girl pick that will be featured at the 2020 Ruby Bridges Reading Festival at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee in May. The William Hoy Story, a Texas 2X2 pick, has been on multiple state reading lists. Manjhi Moves a Mountain is the winner of the 2018 South Asia Book Award and a Junior Library Guild selection. Martin & Anne, the Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank is on the 2020 Notable Book for a Global Society list from the International Literacy Association. Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing is a 2019 Sydney Taylor and National Council for the Social Studies Notable.
Nancy graduated cum laude from Harvard, has a master’s from Columbia, and lives in Plano, Texas, with her husband, Dallas Morning News arts writer Michael Granberry, their dog named Dog, and two cantankerous cats.
THREE WINNERS ONE WINNER receives signed copies of both For Spacious Skies and Beautiful Shades of Brown TWO WINNERS each receive a signed copy of For Spacious Skies
April 16-26, 2020
(US only for signed copies; international winners via Book Depository)
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Love this review! You tell us a lot in a succinct, efficient way. Sounds like a beautiful book. Thanks for the post!