Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Thomas Jefferson: A Picture Book Biography
Illustrator: Michael Dooling
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 7 to 11
Scholastic, 2006 ISBN: 978-0439810678
Thomas was a soft-spoken, gentle, bookish young boy and as he grew up this did not change much. Loving the written word and wanting to have a good education he went to the College of William and Mary. He then went and studied law in Williamsburg and it was during this time that he heard a speaker talk about the unfair way in which the British Crown was treating its American colonists. Thomas began to wonder if it might not be about time for America to go its own way and seek its independence.
Thomas soon found himself deeply involved in this discussion when he was elected to represent his county in Virginia?s House of Burgesses. When the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1776 Thomas was asked to draft America?s Declaration of Independence which he did. The result was one of the most powerful pieces of writing ever written and it has inspired people all over the world to think about government and democracy in a new way.
This is a wonderful introduction to the life of Thomas Jefferson describing his life from his early childhood to his death on July 4th 1826. The author has also included an impressive list of some of Jefferson's sayings, and a section about the Sally Hemmings story describing the relationship that existed between the scholarly statesman and his slave servant.
