Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare by Gene Barretta

Abstract

Reviewed by: Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare by Gene Barretta Elizabeth Bush Barretta, Gene Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare; written and illus. by Gene Barretta. Ottaviano/Holt, 2016 [40p] ISBN 978-0-8050-9945-4 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 2-5 Separated as they are by a hundred years, and representing rival political parties, Lincoln and Kennedy don’t immediately lend themselves easily to a side-by-side picture-book analysis. Kudos to Barretta, then, who is stunningly successful at creating such a book by pausing at key moments of each man’s life to see what he’s facing and enriching the biography of both by comparison. Boy Lincoln, scrubbing down in a tin bathtub while a bear hovers near his shoulder, “had a passion for learning and borrowed books whenever he could.” On the facing page, boy Kennedy soaks in a footed tub, with a teddy bear perched on the radiator: “He showed little interest in his studies.” A picture shows Lincoln wooing Mary Todd at a dance, in true meet-cute fashion, while the scene below depicts Jacqueline Bouvier sneaking a sidelong glance at Kennedy as he holds forth at a dinner party. Both men, pictured in somber silhouette, experienced the loss of a child and suffered from [End Page 507] depression or pain. Each made a stand for civil rights; each faced military defeat. And, of course, both fell to an assassin’s bullet. Cartoon illustrations are respectful but at times humorous, and the career of each man is recapped with a double-page spread that includes presidential accomplishments, trivia, and five memorable quotations. With a glossary and list of sources, this will obviously catch the eye of social-studies teachers, but the lively illustrations and inviting approach will entice independent readers as well. Copyright © 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois