$22.49
Author: Maestro Betsy
Brand: Scholastic Press
Edition: Illustrated
Format: Illustrated
Number Of Pages: 40
Details: From Booklist
Ages 5^-9. The sentiments of this picture book celebrate America’s rich diversity as a nation of immigrants, and the history is inclusive; but the determinedly upbeat message is overdone, especially in the illustrations, which exaggerate folksy culture, beads-and-feathers kind of costuming, festive foods, and gleeful holiday togetherness. Diversity is enriching, and it’s who we are, but few Americans will recognize this cute idyll. The history is better. Maestro begins with the first nomads, the American Indians, and does mention that Indians were later pushed off their land. She also notes that millions of Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas as slaves. She describes the successive waves of people who have come here through the centuries: why they left their homes, how they journeyed, what their hopes were, how they settled, and how today’s new immigrants continue to come in search of a better life for themselves and their children. It’s in the present scenes that the style lapses into sermonizing about “the growing appreciation and understanding of the special character and unique contributions of each cultural or ethnic group” –hardly picture-book text. But the history is a useful introduction. Hazel Rochman
Product Description
Thousands of years ago, the first people to arrive on American soil traveled across a land bridge from Asia to what is now Alaska. Millions of people were already settled when Christopher Columbus “rediscovered” America in 1492. New about the “new” world soon spread, and more people arrived on American shores. The trans-atlantic journey was long and arduous, but by 1700, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch colonies had been established. This expansion exacted a toll, however, on the native people who were pushed off their land as well as African people who were forced into slavery. By the mid 1800’s, so many people had immigrated to the United States that in 1892, an immigration office was opened on Ellis Island to count and document the new arrivals. By the early 1900’s, laws were passed to limit the number of new arrivals. And yet, today, immigrants still come to America from countries worldwide, includingRussia, Haiti, and Cuba, insearch of a better way of life. The history of American immigration is one of determination and struggle, but not without pain. But for immigrants past and present, hope, the belief in a better life, and the allure of making a contribution to this nation prevails.
From Publishers Weekly
Clearly tuned into her audience, Maestro (The Discovery of the Americas) offers a neatly distilled overview of U.S. immigration, covering extensive ground without oversimplifying. She astutely makes each reader a part of her story, stating, “All Americans are related to immigrants or are immigrants themselves.” Referring to the arrival of the first Americans many thousands of years ago, the author emphasizes that there were millions of inhabitants by the time Columbus “discovered” America. She describes the many waves of settlers from European countries, the grim horror of the slave trade (“Instead of finding freedom, these Africans lost theirs”), the ordeal of inspection at Ellis Island and the ongoing stream of refugees who take shelter in the U.S. for a variety of reasons. Ryan’s (Darcy and Gran Don’t Like Babies) busy, expressive watercolor art makes it easy for readers to share both the anxiety and exhilaration of the individuals it so vividly depicts. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?An introductory history of immigration from thousands of years ago through the present, focusing on why different groups of people came to America and how they became a part of our national heritage. Maestro points out that when Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas, millions of people were already living on these continents. Different perspectives are incorporated into the text, including t
Release Date: 01-02-1996
Package Dimensions: 13x292x431
