The U.S. Constitution

"Both real and fictional narrators serve as your tour guides on this fun and factual trip inot American Symbols. Francis Scott Key, Ben Franklin, and James Madison offer insight on their roles in history and the resulting symbols, such as the National Anthem, that are still honored today. Designed for school library use in grades K-2, each book includes labeled diagrams, stanzas and melody line, glossary, biographies of Constitutional Signers, fun facts, index, booklist, and safe internet sites for further research. Other titles in the series are: The Great Seal of the United States, Our American FLag, Our National Anthem, The Statue of Liberty, and The White House."

"Distilling the U.S. Constitution into 24 pages isn't easy, but this volume in the American Symbols series is so attractive that kids may be drawn in by the pictures and learn something about American history in the process. Colored in deep hues, Skeens' images look so sturdy that they seem to be carved from wood. The text begins with James Madison introducing himself (he never appears again) and presumably asking the question the text poses: "What is the U.S. Constitution?" Each spread offers a few paragraphs of information about the document and its sections, the framers and how they worked together ("there was a lot of arguing"), and a little more about the branches of government. There's over simplification; it's a shame Pearl didn't list the individual amendments in the Bill of Rights; and snippets of information are embedded in the spreads in type that is easy to miss. Still, the book's good points outweigh its minuses. Several books and Web sites are appended."

"What sets these series titles apart from the many other books on the same topics is their simplicity. Each volume briefly explains the history and significance of its symbol. A guide, either a historical figure important in the development of the symbol or a fictional character involved in its day-to-day operation, introduces each icon. This personal tone and the clear language make these titles accessible to young listeners. Large, richly colored and highly stylized artwork flows across the covers and pages with figures that resemble plastic toys. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the actual sites, monuments, or symbols. Each volume includes a list of facts. Most collections already have more complete titles about these topics. Purchase if there's a need."