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Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation

Author Peggy Thomas
Illustrated by Stacy Innerst
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Hardcover
$16.95 US
Astra Publishing House | Calkins Creek
9.38"W x 10.25"H x 0.41"D  
On sale Sep 08, 2015 | 48 Pages | 9781620916285
Grades 2-5
Reading Level: Lexile 1120L
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American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education Recommended Book 

Thomas Jefferson was more than a president and patriot. He was also a planter and gardener who loved to watch things grow—everything from plants and crops to even his brand-new nation.

As minister to France, Jefferson promoted all things American, sharing corn and pecans with his Parisian neighbors. As secretary of state, he encouraged his fellow farmers to grow olives, rice and maple trees. As president, he doubled the size of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase. Even in his retirement, Jefferson continued to nurture the nation, laying the groundwork for the University of Virginia. In this meticulously researched picture book for older readers, author Peggy Thomas uncovers Jefferson's passion for agriculture and his country. And Stacy Innerst's incredibly original illustrations offer the right balance of reverence and whimsy. This is Thomas Jefferson as he's never been seen before! Back matter includes an author's note on Jefferson's legacy today; timeline, bibliography; place to visit (Monticello); and source notes.
Peggy Thomas is the author of Farmer George Plants a Nation, an award-winning history and science picture book biography of George Washington, as well as more than a dozen other books for children. She lives in Middleport, New York. Visit peggythomaswrites.com. View titles by Peggy Thomas
© Michael Santiago
Painter and educator Stacy Innerst is the illustrator of The Book Rescuer, winner of the Sydney Taylor Award; Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG vs. Inequality, which received the New York Times/NYPL Best Illustrated Children's Books Award; and The Music in George’s Head, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration. His most recent Calkins Creek books include The Painter and the President, Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, What Louis Brandeis Knows, Piece by Piece, and My Word, Theodore!. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Visit stacyinnerst.com View titles by Stacy Innerst
"Using Thomas Jefferson's own admissions of passion for both his new country and agriculture, details are given about a few of his activities, inventions, and accomplishments, beginning after the Revolutionary War.... (t)he text... contains sophisticated ideas and vocabulary, and numerous quotations appear in the entertaining artwork and the text itself.... it is no small feat to choose but a few facts about such a well-documented life; the choices made and the method of telling are both exemplary." — Kirkus Reviews

"Innerst's muted gouache paintings contribute playful touches... that are in step with Thomas's informal narration and Jefferson's curiosity and optimism." — Publishers Weekly

About

American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education Recommended Book 

Thomas Jefferson was more than a president and patriot. He was also a planter and gardener who loved to watch things grow—everything from plants and crops to even his brand-new nation.

As minister to France, Jefferson promoted all things American, sharing corn and pecans with his Parisian neighbors. As secretary of state, he encouraged his fellow farmers to grow olives, rice and maple trees. As president, he doubled the size of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase. Even in his retirement, Jefferson continued to nurture the nation, laying the groundwork for the University of Virginia. In this meticulously researched picture book for older readers, author Peggy Thomas uncovers Jefferson's passion for agriculture and his country. And Stacy Innerst's incredibly original illustrations offer the right balance of reverence and whimsy. This is Thomas Jefferson as he's never been seen before! Back matter includes an author's note on Jefferson's legacy today; timeline, bibliography; place to visit (Monticello); and source notes.

Author

Peggy Thomas is the author of Farmer George Plants a Nation, an award-winning history and science picture book biography of George Washington, as well as more than a dozen other books for children. She lives in Middleport, New York. Visit peggythomaswrites.com. View titles by Peggy Thomas
© Michael Santiago
Painter and educator Stacy Innerst is the illustrator of The Book Rescuer, winner of the Sydney Taylor Award; Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG vs. Inequality, which received the New York Times/NYPL Best Illustrated Children's Books Award; and The Music in George’s Head, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration. His most recent Calkins Creek books include The Painter and the President, Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, What Louis Brandeis Knows, Piece by Piece, and My Word, Theodore!. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Visit stacyinnerst.com View titles by Stacy Innerst

Praise

"Using Thomas Jefferson's own admissions of passion for both his new country and agriculture, details are given about a few of his activities, inventions, and accomplishments, beginning after the Revolutionary War.... (t)he text... contains sophisticated ideas and vocabulary, and numerous quotations appear in the entertaining artwork and the text itself.... it is no small feat to choose but a few facts about such a well-documented life; the choices made and the method of telling are both exemplary." — Kirkus Reviews

"Innerst's muted gouache paintings contribute playful touches... that are in step with Thomas's informal narration and Jefferson's curiosity and optimism." — Publishers Weekly

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