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Red, White, Blue and Uncle Who?: The Stories Behind Some of America's Patriotic Symbols
Have you ever wondered how the Liberty Bell got cracked? Did you know the wild turkey almost became the national bird of the United States? And who is Uncle Sam, anyway?
Answer all these questions and many more as you explore the history behind seventeen well-known monuments and symbols of the United States of America—including the Great Seal, the Pledge of Allegience, the Capitol Building and more.
Descriptions of each symbol include the history behind it, the people involved in creating it, and intriguing trivia. Important dates are highlighted, helping to create a timeline of when these patriotic symbols became accepted parts of our nation's history.
John O'Brien's black-and-white cartoon illustrations on nearly every page add a touch of humor to the engaging text. An index is included.
Answer all these questions and many more as you explore the history behind seventeen well-known monuments and symbols of the United States of America—including the Great Seal, the Pledge of Allegience, the Capitol Building and more.
Descriptions of each symbol include the history behind it, the people involved in creating it, and intriguing trivia. Important dates are highlighted, helping to create a timeline of when these patriotic symbols became accepted parts of our nation's history.
John O'Brien's black-and-white cartoon illustrations on nearly every page add a touch of humor to the engaging text. An index is included.
64 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Teresa Bateman
38 books55 followersTeresa Bateman was born in Moscow, Idaho, but moved to Washington State when she was three-years-old and that's where she has lived most of her life.
An avid writer and reader, Teresa has been making up stories and poems since she was in grade school. "To me it was as natural as breathing," says Teresa.
In school Teresa would drive her teachers crazy by 'creatively' completing assignments. She always met the letter of their assignment, if not the spirit. She worked hard to inject some humor into her work, knowing that the teachers would be reading hundreds of papers and wanting hers to stand out. It worked.
Teresa took English classes for fun in college and when she applied for a Washington State Teaching credential, the state looked at her transcripts and added an endorsement to teach English through the 12th grade!
Teresa cites her teacher Donnell Hunter at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, as having a big influence on her and her writing. He published a class magazine to which the class submitted their work under pen names. Their grades depended on how many stories were included in the magazine. Teresa submitted under about 15 different pen names--just to be annoying! But she knew her work was being judged on its merits alone. Mr. Hunter encouraged her journal writing and instilled in Teresa good writing habits that she continues to this day.
Teresa served an 18-month mission for her church in Argentina, and taught school for a year in Honduras. She also taught school briefly in St. Mary's, Alaska -- a little bush village with a population of 500 in the winter and 50 in the summer. She has been a librarian in the Federal Way School District in Washington for over 30 years.
Teresa writes every single day. She also works full-time, so that means some days she doesn't write much, but she always writes. When at home, Teresa's special spot for writing has a good view of the lilac bushes outside. A picture of a winding path through gentle rolling hills and meadows hangs on the wall. She tells herself, when stuck for an idea, that the story lies at the end of that path.
Teresa lives in Tacoma, Washington.
An avid writer and reader, Teresa has been making up stories and poems since she was in grade school. "To me it was as natural as breathing," says Teresa.
In school Teresa would drive her teachers crazy by 'creatively' completing assignments. She always met the letter of their assignment, if not the spirit. She worked hard to inject some humor into her work, knowing that the teachers would be reading hundreds of papers and wanting hers to stand out. It worked.
Teresa took English classes for fun in college and when she applied for a Washington State Teaching credential, the state looked at her transcripts and added an endorsement to teach English through the 12th grade!
Teresa cites her teacher Donnell Hunter at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, as having a big influence on her and her writing. He published a class magazine to which the class submitted their work under pen names. Their grades depended on how many stories were included in the magazine. Teresa submitted under about 15 different pen names--just to be annoying! But she knew her work was being judged on its merits alone. Mr. Hunter encouraged her journal writing and instilled in Teresa good writing habits that she continues to this day.
Teresa served an 18-month mission for her church in Argentina, and taught school for a year in Honduras. She also taught school briefly in St. Mary's, Alaska -- a little bush village with a population of 500 in the winter and 50 in the summer. She has been a librarian in the Federal Way School District in Washington for over 30 years.
Teresa writes every single day. She also works full-time, so that means some days she doesn't write much, but she always writes. When at home, Teresa's special spot for writing has a good view of the lilac bushes outside. A picture of a winding path through gentle rolling hills and meadows hangs on the wall. She tells herself, when stuck for an idea, that the story lies at the end of that path.
Teresa lives in Tacoma, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 27, 2017
A fantastic reference on various symbols in American history. Each symbol has 2-4 pages of information, including simple but large sketch illustrations. The detail in the text is rich and interesting. I would have preferred the pictures to be colorful and for there to be more of them, but the text is so good that the book merits 4 stars. Symbols included: American flag, bald eagle, the seal, the liberty bell, the national anhem, Uncle Sam, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Statue of Liberty, Moun Rushmore, the White House, the Capitol building, the National Mall, the Washington Monument, and the Memorials for Lincoln, Vietnam, Korea, and Jefferson.
November 9, 2019
This book has historical re-tellings about many of America's patriotic symbols such as the Statue of Liberty, the Pledge of Allegiance, many monuments, and more. Many children ask why we have these symbols and this book gives a short, kid-friendly explanation as to why.
This book would be good for elementary read alouds and independent reading with some help on the development of social study vocabulary.
This book would be good for elementary read alouds and independent reading with some help on the development of social study vocabulary.
August 15, 2017
Picked this book up at the GHC. It has very short and simple stories of our patriotic symbols..krb 8/14/17
November 29, 2014
Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? is a very informative book about the United States' history, some of it's symbols and monuments and how these came about. It is wonderfully written by Teresa Bateman and not so wordy as information books can sometimes be. It describes a sufficient amount of history for each symbol/monument and is organized with each topic getting a large font title before the description begins. There are at least several paragraphs for each topic but the text complexity is minimal. I really enjoyed the sketched, cartoonish black and white illustrations by John O'Brien because they are detailed enough to enhance the text but they do not take away from the history and information in the text. This book is pretty long, about 60 pages so it should be read when you have an hour to sit down and read. However, the book is set up in mock-chapters so if you need to stop and come back to it, you can do that without it interrupting the flow of the book. I typically find non-fiction books to be dry and boring but this one was fun and interesting. I learned things about my country that I had never known before. I recommend any elementary student above 2nd grade to read this. I wouldn't recommend this book to be read aloud because it is pretty long and might deter students from paying attention.
March 19, 2009
This is a great book for quick reading if you're interesting in American history and the symbols and places that make it so special. With a easy-to-understand writing style, this book should appeal to any age reader. Filled with humorous illustrations, it's a joy to read. I do like that the author makes sure not to gloss over the darker items that account for some of the symbols and places.
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January 15, 20164.5 ★
Age Range: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3 and up
A wonderfully instructive look at 17 American patriotic symbols.
I found it a good learning tool for the young mind and an excellent review for the adult.
A few of the points of discussion include the flag, the eagle, the capitol, various memorials etc.
...definitely worth your consideration.....
Age Range: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3 and up
A wonderfully instructive look at 17 American patriotic symbols.
I found it a good learning tool for the young mind and an excellent review for the adult.
A few of the points of discussion include the flag, the eagle, the capitol, various memorials etc.
...definitely worth your consideration.....
December 29, 2011
A helpful look at many of America's symbols
October 1, 2012
This is a great book that explains the meanings behind America's most important symbols.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews