Parents' Guide to

Of Thee I Sing

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Educational, inspirational profiles of 13 American heroes.

Book Barack Obama History 2010
Of Thee I Sing Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 4+

Based on 3 parent reviews

PitIggyMom
PitIggyMom Parent
February 25, 2011
age 5+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
mama2D
mama2D Parent of 4-year-old
January 1, 2011
age 4+

Reviews, not politics, please!

I don't think it's fair or informative for kjrutherford of Indiana to review this book because s/he hasn't read it. S/he says s/he's basing the opinion on a couple of negative reviews at amazon.com. I just checked amazon where the book has 86 5-star reviews, 6 4-star reviews, and 3 1-star reviews (and no 3 or 2-star reviews). In fact, kjrutherford is taking advantage of this review space to plug Lynn Cheney's books for kids. I think the "review", along with my critique of it, should both be removed to make way for comments from people who have actually read the book and have something constructive to say about it that would assist readers.
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What's the Story?

In this letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama calls out the girls' winning attributes ("Have I told you that you are creative?") and connects them to one of 13 American heroes. "Creative," for example, launches into a short bio about painter Georgia O'Keefe, who "helped us see big beauty in what is small: the hardness of stone and the softness of feather." The book includes further biographical information about each of the selections.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

Adults who read OF THEE I SING aloud to their kids shouldn't be surprised to find themselves choking up. Not only are many of the heroes profiled incredibly brave and amazing, but also, Obama does what all parents want to do: Remind their kids about how much they love them and inspire them to be the best selves they can be. The ending line may be a bit obvious ("And have I told you that I love you"), but you may be too teary by that point to see it clearly. Overall, this is an inspiring and educational book.

An award-winning illustrator provides beautiful paintings of the book's subjects. Especially fun (and poignant): On the left hand side, he represents them as children, standing along with Sasha, Malia, and a growing chorus of other future heroes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the heroes profiled here. Which Americans had you heard of before? Who would you like to learn more about?

  • Parents with older kids might want to point out that many of the heroes profiled here were controversial figures in their time. What made them controversial? Why do you think Obama decided to include them?

Book Details

  • Author: Barack Obama
  • Illustrator: Loren Long
  • Genre: History
  • Book type: Non-Fiction
  • Publisher: Knopf
  • Publication date: November 16, 2010
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 3
  • Number of pages: 40
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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