Day 26: L is for Lincoln

Living here in the Land of Lincoln we might have a couple (or ten…… or thirty) opportunities to explore the top-hat wearing 16^th president.

In the book L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet, author Kathy-Jo Wargin uses each letter to explore what makes our state special.  L in this book is for (you guessed it) Lincoln, of course!

 

 

In alphabet books I immediately flip to the less common letters first.  Just how does the author tie in the letter Q?  And what about Z?

Q is for Quincy, the Illinois town who had the first fire engine: Rough and Ready.

Z is for Zoo.  “In 1868 two swans from New York’s Central Park were given to the newly established Lincoln Park Zoo.”

 

 

Each page includes a pastel-colored sidebar that gives more information about each subject. Illustrator Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen paints colorful illustrations on a canvas-like medium. 

The Y is for Yellow Fields page says “The yellow fields of Illinois tell us that agriculture is a primary industry here.  More than 28 million acres, which is nearly 80 percent of the state’s total land area, is covered by farms.”

Have you seen the new move Lincoln in theaters?  It’s a historical drama filmed and directed by Steven Spielberg starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

If you are in the Springfield, IL area then a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is an absolute must. The same organization that contributed to the design of Disney World helped design this place.  The rooms exploring the election campaign of Lincoln and Stephen Douglas showed televisions airing CNN-like coverage from 1858 including creative “breaking news” of the time crawling at the bottom of the screen.  

The set and design of this museum including the mix of historical information and humor with cultural references to the present time… makes for an incredible experience.  

What’s your favorite Abe Lincoln experience? 

Lauren

My Library List:
Preview Day: 30 Days of Farm Kid Stories
Day 1: One Moment
Day 2: Perfect Pizza
Day 3: Our Heartland
Day 4: Pasta Fistful
Day 5: One Fast Grower
Day 6: Farmer Seuss
Day 7: Just One Cookie?
Day 8: Frowns Turn into Smiles
Day 9: BOO-HA
Day 10: Big Red Barn
Day 11: Magic with Vegetables
Day 12: Call to Action
Day 13: BOOM
Day 14: Ponies and Cowboys
Day 15: Value to our Trees
Day 16: Tractor Time
Day 17: Wishing for a Washing
Day 18: United Tweets
Day 19: Popcorn Pops
Day 20: Busy Places
Day 21: Peas Please
Day 22: Thankful
Day 23: Splashes of Ink
Day 24: Fantastic Machines
Day 25: Secrets of Quilts

Our blogging host Holly Spangler writes “30 Days on a Prairie Farm” this month on her blog: My Generation.