PICTURE BOOK - Giant Steps to Change the World - Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee

Illustrated by Sean Qualls

2011, Madstone: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 3.93

My rating: 3

Endpapers: pink background, with 12 different quotes in 12 differently-colored and shaped quadrilaterals

Illustrations:  I liked some of them a lot, but others didn't do anything at all to inspire me...

My comments:  I hunted for this book in anticipation of using it during one of my Owning Up/Character education lessons each week.  Unfortunately, it's not going to work for that.  The ideas put forth are wonderful but....vague.  Each set of pages referred to someone special in the history of the world.  Granted, there were quotes from each of them on the endpapers, but an addendum at the end of the book - or even a separate space on each page - would have been informative and helpful.
     Perhaps researching, or even discussing, the people ahead of time....or finding picture books about some of them...this would be the good ENDING to a mini-unit, but does not stand up well on its own.

Mohammad Ali
Harriet Tubman
Jesse Owen
Ben Carson
Marva Collins
Albert Einstein
Langston HughesJean-Michel Basquait
Barack Obama
the Tuskegee Airmen
Neil Armstrong
Mother Teresa

Goodreads:  "On some days your dreams may seem too away far to realize… Listen to the whispers of those that came before..." 
          Following the success of their much beloved picture books, Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please; Academy Award nominated director Spike Lee, and his talented wife Tonya Lewis Lee offer up an inspirational picture book about activism and taking the big steps to set things right set to beautiful illustrations by the award-winning Sean Qualls. Using examples of people throughout history who have taken "giant steps", this book urges kids to follow in their footsteps and not be hindered by fear or a sense that you are not good enough. Despite the challenges, even the smallest step can change the world. So, what's your next step going to be?

Of Thee I Sing - Barack Obama

A Letter to My Daughters
Illustrated by Loren Long
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
$17.99
32 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers: Medium blue

"Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?
How the sound of your feet
running from afar
brings dancing rhythms to my day?
How you laugh
and sunshine spills into the room?"
I love the format of the book. I love the 2-page illustrations on the title page. And it continues -- on the left page he asks a question and on the facing pages answers the question, using a special famous American from our history. He talks about Georgia O'Keeffe, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Sitting Bull, Billie Holiday, Helen Keller, Maya Lin, Jane Addams, MLK, Jr., Neil Armstrong, Cesar Chavez, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington. The last 2-page spread shows the kids that have been included along the way - the famous people as children, and all sorts of different kids of every ethnicity. This page would make a lovely poster!

"Have I told you that they are all a part of you?
Have I told you that you are one of theml
and that you are the future?
And have I told you that I love you?"
This is a wonderful book - written by our president for his daughters and all the kids of America. And I've got to say - our president is a terrific writer.