So....I'm torn on this one. On the surface, this is a lovely book, filled with beautiful artwork of various places in the American landscape past and present, all paired with the verses of Katharine Lee Bates' poem "America the Beautiful." The book is put together nicely, with a foreword explaining how Bates came to write the poem, biographical details about Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward, who wrote the music for the hymn, along with example of a hymnal page and handwritten verses of the poem, descriptions of the places shown in the illustrations, and a map showing their locations. It really is a lovely presentation. But....
This is an idealized America, the one I remember from my childhood, before I learned about my nation's complicated history. It feels wrong to include Mt. Rushmore, knowing the creation of it desecrated sacred Native American land. In the two illustrations that acknowledge a Native American presence, they are shown either in the past, or in the Navajo Nation, which called a reservation until 1969. Seeing so many beautiful locations that I now know were taken from the indigenous people who lived there doesn't give me the sense of pride in my country that this book is meant to, it just makes me sad. So, mixed feelings on this book.

#AmericatheBeautiful #NetGalley

This book reminded me of other picture books I have used in the classroom. It is a great tool to have on your shelf for school-aged kids. Lots of information and great way to teach about the United States and how it became the country it is today.

What a beautiful book, and what a wonderful way that the story and art are woven. This puts me in the mind of The Undefeated. Definitely one I will be purchasing for my library.

This beautifully illustrated book takes the poem "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates and juxtaposes the words of this poem with wonderful illustrations of American landscapes. This book reveals a true and humbling love of America.

This book is stunning. It is a travelogue of the beautiful sites and scenery across the United States. Using the words of America the Beautiful, a poem written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893, Wendel Minor added amazing illustrations showing what had inspired Ms. Bates over a century ago. The back of the book has a brief biography of Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward, the man who wrote the music that turned this poem into the song that is sung proudly today. There is also a short description of each illustration and where the actual sight is located along with a map. I can see this book being used by a family setting out on the Great American Road Trip, or in a classroom to showcase various areas of the US. It is also a great book to use when teaching poetry and the inspirations behind it. Just a gorgeous book. A great one to be in any and all types of libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

The illustrations by Wendell Minor bring to life this classic American song. It visually exemplifies the heart, rhythm and message of the song. In this time of turmoil this rendition is a ray of hope.

As I had expected, this is perfectly beautiful to look at. I especially appreciated the map that explains were everything is. But this feels anachronistic. It shows gorgeous countryside and small towns -- the big cities are only city lights. Where are all the people of America today?

More importantly, it's almost impossible to evaluate a picture book when you can see only one page at a time. I have to imagine the spreads and the effects of the page turns. Reading this advance copy was an unsatisfying experience.

America the Beautiful illustrated with lovely pictures depicting the country from "sea to shining sea." The highlight of this copy is the glossary of illustrations, pointing out where in the country each of the pictures came from. A good read for Thanksgiving or Fourth of July story times. Ages 2-8

The art in this book is breathtaking. A wonderful read for kids of all ages and adults as well. The artwork combined with the emotionally moving words of the song transports the reader through all parts of this majestic country. This song was once a staple in elementary school across the nation and this book is just the revival of patriotism and pride we could use right now. As a librarian and former homeschooling parent, I particularly enjoyed the educational aspects at the back of the book. Showing the map and locations of the artwork will hopefully allow children to connect on a personal level by seeing places they live or have visited. This is a must-buy for every library in my opinion and maybe for every American household. As Wendell Minor's first picture book, he hit this out of the park for me. I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come tomorrow on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I saw this book on Netgalley and was just mesmerised by the gorgeous cover featuring a beautiful landscape + some bisons. I was a bit hesitant about the whole patriotism stuff, but I was hoping it would be fine. In the end, yes, I did enjoy it, but the patriotism... eh.

The book is apparently about a poem/song by Katharine Lee Bates and on each page we see a part of the poem coupled with absolutely gorgeous illustrations that I just wanted to dive into. I wanted to go to this America. Wild and free. Beautiful and gorgeous. I was looking forward to each new page. And I am delighted that at the end we get some more information on what places we visit as I definitely didn't know all of them.  

The poem was a bit too much at times for me, especially some parts. Sorry if I offend someone, but as I said patriotism is just not for me (I am happy with where I live, but that is it), and in my country there is just not that much patriotism stuff... For real if I search patriotism on Wikipedia in Dutch... I find information about America. :P

I did like the extra information at the end on the woman who wrote it and the composer and also seeing the sheet music. As I had no clue about any of that. So I learned something new which made me happy.

This is a lovely book of the iconic poem, America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates! It begins with Katharine’s story behind her poem. Then as it tells the poem it is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations of across American. It it ends up ugh more information of Bates. This will be a book we will cherish and read many times