[Book Review] Remember the Ladies by Callista Gingrich

Remember the Ladies

by

Callista Gingrich

Blurb:

Ellis the Elephant is headed back to the White House! In Remember the Ladies, the seventh in Callista Gingrich's New York Times bestselling series, Ellis meets some of America's greatest first ladies and discovers their many contributions to American history. Join Ellis as he travels back in time to encounter:

• Martha Washington as she invents what it means to be a first lady
• Dolley Madison as she saves a portrait of George Washington from a burning White House
• Mary Todd Lincoln as she supports Union troops throughout the Civil War
• Eleanor Roosevelt as she redefines and strengthens the role of first lady
• Jackie Kennedy as she brings style and glamour to the White House

With beautiful illustrations and charming rhymes, Remember the Ladies will delight young and old alike with a look at the first ladies who helped make America an exceptional nation.

My Review:

This book is so cute! The illustrations are adorable, and I love that it's teaching the children about the first ladies. I think the first ladies sometimes get overlooked, but many of them have done some great things, and have championed some very important causes. I actually learned a lot! I didn't know about many of the middle first ladies. I know quite a bit about Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, and then I know quite a bit about the more current first ladies, but I learned a great deal about some of those first ladies in the middle. For example, did you know that Abigail Fillmore added a library to the White House? I'd love to see the library in the White House! And I didn't know that Jackie Kennedy gave Americans the first televised tour of the White House, or that Lady Bird Johnson worked to clean up America's highways. This book highlights many of the first ladies, and I love that the title is based on Abigail Adams telling her husband to "remember the ladies!" I think this book does a good job of covering first ladies from both parties. At the end there is a little snippet on each first lady. I was surprised to know that in a few cases the presidents' wives didn't want the role, so a daughter or someone else would fill the position. I enjoyed this book and do recommend it.

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: Everyone

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nina the Neighborhood Ninja

Nina the Neighborhood Ninja

by

Sonia Panigrahy

Blurb:

"Calling all Girls to find their inner Superhero! Smart. Strong. Speedy. Nina the Neighborhood Ninja is a creative and take-charge kind of little girl who possesses all of these amazing qualities. Fiona the Firefly is her loyal and trusty sidekick. Through teamwork and bravery, Nina and Fiona spend a typical day boldly rescuing animals in trouble: a baby bird fallen from its nest, a cat left out in the rain, and --just when Nina thinks her work is done--she's called to action again!"

My Review:

I love picture books!!! I don't think I'll ever stop loving them. I especially love the time spent sitting close together over a picture book; it's the best! This book does not disappoint! Move over Spiderman, Iron Man, Batman, and Superman, Nina is here to save the day! The story is so cute and fun. Nina is at all the right places at all the right times, just in time to help those animals who need her. There was one time that she was tired and wet and wanted to just go home, but she didn't give up and kept helping. That's a great lesson for children to learn! Fiona is a fun sidekick. I like that this book is positive and focuses on the inner qualities that make superheros. Rather than strong and speedy, I think kind and patient or caring and compassionate may have been a little bit better, but there's nothing wrong with strong and speedy! This is a great book for little girls, especially, but great for boys too! The illustrations are darling. They are bright and colorful, and oh so cute! This book would make a great addition to any picture book library!!

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: Everyone

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hail to the Chief (An Ellis the Elephant Story)

Hail to the Chief

(An Ellis the Elephant Story)

by

Callista Gingrich

Blurb:

"Ellis the elephant is back, and he's headed to the White House! In Hail to the Chief, the sixth in Callista Gingrich's New York Times bestselling series, Ellis meets some of America's greatest presidents and discovers how they have led our country throughout American history. Join Ellis as he travels back in time to encounter:

• George Washington as he is sworn in as our first president.
• Andrew Jackson as he welcomes thousands of Americans to the White House.
• Abraham Lincoln as he delivers the Gettysburg Address.
• Theodore Roosevelt as he builds our national park system.
• Lyndon Johnson as he signs the Civil Rights Act.

With beautiful illustrations and charming rhymes, Hail to the Chief will delight young and old alike with a glimpse at the leaders who helped make America an exceptional nation."

My Review:

What a great book! I love that it's a darling picture book with colorful illustrations, and yet it's packed with information! Children will think they're reading about a cute little elephant, and yet they're learning about American presidents and history. You know me, I hate it when authors push their agenda onto children through books and movies, and I was worried that this book might do that; it did not, thankfully! It is an unbiased look at several of America's former presidents; Republican and Democratic alike. The only agenda in this book is to get children excited about American history by helping them learn about former presidents. I even learned a few things! It's written in poem format, which is great because learning to rhyme is also an important skill for children to have. It's not forced rhyming, either. It flows well and is easy to read and understand. My copy is hardback, which I love for its durability. The illustrations are very well done. They're colorful, interesting, and full of great details. Not all the former presidents are highlighted in the book, but there is a little blurb on each of the presidents in the back of the book. (*Update 1/6/17: I had a reader contact me regarding the blurbs. She felt like the blurbs were biased, so I read through them. I think most of them are unbiased and informational. There are a few, especially with the more current presidents,  that are slightly biased. I didn't feel like they were extremely biased, but there was a hint. Still, I think the benefits of the book outweigh the negative. If you feel the blurbs are biased then you could take those pages out, since they are not a part of the actual story. The story itself is unbiased.*)  I highly recommend this book for old and young alike! This book should be in every elementary school library in the United States!

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: Everyone!

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.