A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt

Picture Book Biography

by David A. Adler, Robert Casilla (Illustrator)

Eleanor Roosevelt went from being a sad, shy child to becoming an adult who reached out to people everywhere. She married Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1904. She became America's first lady while he served as president from 1932 - 1945. During the years of the Great Depression, she visited towns, cities, and farms all over the country and brought hope to millions of people. She made many speeches, had a radio program, and wrote a newspaper column. Eleanor Roosevelt called on American soldiers during World War II and served as chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights at the United Nations after her husband's death. She was an important, beloved figure of her time and is remembered as one of America's greatest women.

Genres: Biography, History, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Olivia Lullie · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. "A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt" is a story of Eleanor Roosevelt's life told through text and drastic pictures that cover the page. The story shares interesting facts about Eleanor's life as a young girl, young adult, and as a wife and first lady. The author wrote about Roosevelt's experiences throughout her lifetime and shared facts that most people may not know.

2. "A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt" was a great read! The author, Robert Casilla, did a very good job with creating a story book that taught about Eleanor Roosevelt in a creative and fun way. The illustrations capture readers attentions through the vibrant colors and extensive detail. The story book does a very good job of capturing the attention of the readers at the same time facts are being shared.

3. This text would be a great resource to use in the classroom when teaching about great historical figures. The story book tells a great deal of interesting and important facts about Eleanor Roosevelt's life. Using this book as an introduction to a lesson about Eleanor would be a great way to get the students hooked in an excited.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Eleanor Roosevelt was amazing. I liked learning about her life.

[Sophie Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout Eleanor Roosevelt's life, she really grew from being so shy to very looked up to woman. The book shares interesting facts and information about Eleanor throughout her whole life, including; her life as a young girl, young adult, as a wife and as the first lady were all highlighted. She got married in 1904 to Franklin D. Roosevelt and became America's first lady from 1932 to 1945 when FDR served as president. She was really someone that many looked up to during the Great Depression.

The author did a great job teaching her life in stuff a fun and creative way. The illustrations had such vibrant colors and details that were definitely eye-catching. This is a great book for the classroom when teaching of important historical figures. This is a great way to catch the student's attention when starting a lesson about Eleanor Roosevelt's life.

[Rachel Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story takes you through Eleanor Roosevelt's life all the way to when she becomes the First Lady and to her death in 1962. It goes through her trials and tribulations as a child and her successes when she was the First Lady. I rated the book with 5 stars because the book presents a time line of Eleanor's life and explains where she has been in life and what she has done to help our country. I would read aloud this story for Social Studies when studying people who have had a great impact on this nation.

[Jeanne Halderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very disappointing book. Eleanor was not portrayed as the strong and intelligent woman she was, and it spent too much time mentioning the men in her life rather than her amazing accomplishments. It didn't even say "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Even for a young child I would expect more from a book about Eleanor. I would recommend every person learn more about her life and accomplishments -- just not from this book.

[Cameron Burrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt is a picture book depicting the life of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. It is a good way to introduce a historical aspect to children and has the theme of family and making it through difficult situations.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. It told of her struggle as a child and in to adulthood. do what you feel in your heart to be right! Great words to live by.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustration’s we’re well done.

[Kaitlynn Beuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really shows kids an inside into a historical figure that we hear about growing up. This books has tons of interesting facts that not even I really knew about.

[Emily Pinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Eleanor Roosevelt and her impact on America. She's a woman who helped shape America and had so many accomplishments.
I love reading about the impact women have had on our country. She made such a huge impact and it is so great to read about it.
When talking about First Ladies and ladies in history, this book is great to introduce.

[Ashlea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Eleanor Roosevelt that I did not know. It is amazing that she made such an imprint in American history without being disgraced for marrying within her own family. I am sure that this happened more so in our history than it does now. The most amazing thing for me was the fact that she didn't forget about others and their struggles when she became the First Lady she still continued to go out and help people all over the world. Eleanor is a great example for women and our women who have followed her as First Lady.

This book could be used a read aloud to introduce a history unit around the different Presidents and their wives. Individual students could also use it when doing historical research for given projects.

The illustrations were very good and added to the story of Eleanor. If I am not mistaking the drawings are done in water colors which allows the illustrations to take you back in time by taking on the look of older paintings and themes.

[Savannah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book taught me things about Eleanor Roosevelt that I never knew before. It told the story of her life and how she had a very hard childhood. This book also told the story of how Eleanor met Franklin D. Roosevelt and their journey together into his presidency. After President Roosevelt died, Eleanor had to move out of the White House. She might have not been the First Lady any longer but she was certainly the First Lady of the world.

[Harrison Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a simple, yet informative biography of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. A young audience would easily be able to follow along and comprehend the life and events that took place in her life. I learned many new things about Eleanor Roosevelt through this book such as the fact that she married within her own family. I would definitely use this book for a history unit in a 3rd to 5th grade classroom.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Alder always does a wonderful job with his mini-biography picture books for young readers. In this book Alder briefly focused on the different periods of Eleanor Roosevelt's life, the struggles she faced and the compassionate humanitarian she was. A great addition to any elementary library or classroom.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, straightforward biography of Eleanor Roosevelt for a younger audience highlighting pivotal moments in her life. Famous quotes and her beliefs are incorporated in the text. The watercolor artwork is realistic and well-executed, but nothing special.

[Becca Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography details the highlights of Eleanor Roosevelt's life, describing her efforts to help those less fortunate and be a champion for minorities. It has good information, but doesn't seem to describe anything that isn't commonly known.

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great educational book for your children over the preschool age. My 6 yr old loved it. Lots of good information with beautiful pictures that will help keep children engaged. A great addition to any children's library.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 43239 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 4.1 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Hunter Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great picture book about the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. The book starts with her birth, and goes through every major event of her life until her death in 1962. I had no idea all of the wonderful things she did, as well as how many peoples' lives she touched. I thought the book was well written, and even more so illustrated. As the book recalled her life, the illustrations really represented what the book was talking about well. Roosevelt had a huge effect on civil rights movements. She was the chairman of human rights at the U.N., and she of course was the wife of President Roosevelt. During the Great Depression, Eleanor made it her job to visit the American people all over the country to give the nation hope.
I think this would be a great book for students in a 3rd or 4th grade history or social studies class. It will give the children insight on how much Eleanor changed the country, and helped fight to change the world as a whole. I believe the illustrations would really get the students into the book, as they depict what is happening in the story so well. This also would be a great book to read to young girls to show the empowerment they have, and for young boys to show the respect and confidence they should have when it comes to women making a huge difference in the world. I say this because I believe its still a problem in this country today.

[Allison Reilly]

Summary

This book is a story about the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. It begins with her as a child and follows her through adulthood. Throughout the book, the reader learns interesting facts about Roosevelt that they may or may not have known before.

Evaluation

I am a history nerd and love learning about strong female leaders. Eleanor Roosevelt is by far my favorite female leader due to her humble life. This book captures it so well. It has drawn pictures to make it look less like a young adult book and more like a children's book. I would not recommend this book to young children to read independently because of the challenging vocabulary.

Teaching Point

I would use this book as a hook for a lesson on the New Deal/women's rights movement. Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband, FDR, were major players in that era. The book begins with Roosevelt as a child which allows students to make connections to her. This would be a great hook to engage students in the subject matter before beginning the lesson.

[Angelica Rios]

I think this would be a good book for both girls and boys. The pictures are bright and interesting. I think any child could try to understand who Eleanor Roosevelt was. I would use this book in a 1st or 2nd grade class and before we read it I would ask the students if they knew the definition of a leader. Then we would read it aloud and talk about the characteristics and qualities of a leader.