  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/15/2018 Organized as an abecedary, this book celebrates immigration by painting a picture of the variety of paths taken by people who have settled America over the centuries. Letters of the alphabet are matched with concepts such as freedom, liberty, and heroes, which are accompanied by brief explications, terse quintains, and illustrations by a variety of artists. Herzog notes familiar aspects of history, such as the theory that Native Americans crossed the Bering Strait, the arrival of the Mayflower, and the work of Chinese and Irish immigrants on the Transcontinental Railroad. Also noted are the cultural contributions of immigrants such as Levi Strauss, Albert Einstein, and John Muir. But the most interesting aspect of the book is that it provides explanations of the less romantic elements of immigration: the push factors such as war, persecution, and poverty; the lengthy complications of the naturalization process; and the privileges of citizenship. Middle-school teachers might use these points as springboards to discuss the struggles of adaptation and controversy of assimilation. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 04/01/2018 Gr 3–6—An A—Z poetry collection that introduces various aspects of U.S. culture with an emphasis on immigration stories. Each letter receives an eight-line poem that introduces and sums up the theme with a more sketched out paragraph of information located at the side of the page. Some lines are odd ("C is for Cultures/A salad bowl of many flavors") but most are appropriate for the audience. The more expository text does acknowledge weightier topics (e.g., enslaved people built the White House) but tends to muddle it with vague and tone deaf follow-ups ("So while its builders were a diverse group, the country still had a very long way to go."). The illustrations for each letter are done by different artists (with some artists illustrating several letters), but they all use the same soft, detailed style that perfectly captures intricate landscapes and portraits as well as more complex ideas, such as the naturalization process, culture, and refugeeism. However, a number of scenes depict people in cultural costumes, which may reinforce stereotypes. VERDICT An additional consideration.—Molly Dettmann, Moore Public Library, OK - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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