Carrie Clickard

This book embodies an unknown yet fascinating historical event – when Thomas Jefferson led an exhibition to find mammoth bones and other fossils in order to prove the greatness of the nation. This book is appealing for many reasons, as it incorporates a rhyming scheme and captivating illustrations in order to tell the story of Thomas Jefferson and his hunt for remnants of the past, all in order to highlight the worthiness of the American nation. An example of the rhyming pattern that is present throughout the story is when Clickard writes “”The Society held a meeting. “We can’t let our Tom fall short! What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever seen? Each one of you report!” Mr. Franklin had a giant tooth – six pounds or more in size. And George Washington once saw a skull that came up to his eyes!”” Clickard’s ability to use this strategy is captivating, and makes this story much more interesting for all readers (both young and adult). I personally enjoyed this book because of how well the text weaved through the historical information and the literary schemes it employs as it successfully delivers an amazing story. I believe that children will learn so much from this story; not only because of the plethora of information found throughout it, but because of the language that is presented in rhyme that is perfect for grasping the audience’s attention. The goal of this story, or main message, is that American history is important and there are many unknown stories that are still worth sharing in the present. This all brings up the important point of bringing the stories of not just American history but world-wide history to a children’s reading level. This will, as a result, educate so many children who do exhibit a striking interest in reading and history, but cannot sample any literature that is appropriate for their reading level.… (altro)