School Library Journal
Gr 3–6—Although best known for his dictionaries, Webster, a contemporary and friend of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and other "founding fathers," made many contributions to the United States as a new nation. He advocated standardization of spellings and pronunciations of words, differentiating between American and British English. He was an early proponent of public education. He was instrumental in getting the first U.S. copyright laws approved. Unfortunately, while his many accomplishments are certainly worthy of study and attention, none of them are of particular interest to children. The thoughtful, quotation-heavy, and lengthy text is appropriately aimed at older readers, and the attractive oil paintings, realistic, dark-toned tableaux, accurately reflect the period. However, their formal composition may appeal more to an adult audience. Instead of tightly focused pictures that draw a child's eye to important details, these images are often panoramic views. The art is beautiful, but better suited to museum viewing than a picture-book biography. Webster is a fascinating topic, but this book does not succeed in bringing him to life for young readers.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Kirkus Reviews
Bringing history to life for young readers is no easy task. Providing a clear outline of events and offering plentiful resources for further study is a good start. Whether young readers will really grasp Webster's enormous accomplishments remains in question. Webster earned a Master's degree from Yale; he also studied law and a remarkable number of languages. He wrote textbooks, influenced the development of the new nation, created the first comprehensive dictionary of the American language and worked to improve educational opportunities and practices. Shea's straightforward text describes Webster's life from childhood on his parents' farm through studying, writing and teaching, extensive travel and his long, full family life. She does her best to put his achievements into context and includes quotations from Webster's own writing. Vachula's realistic oil paintings likewise endeavor to offer a glimpse of life during Revolutionary times. Ultimately, the sheer breadth of Webster's life and achievement just can't be adequately covered in such brisk fashion, making this an intriguing introduction but far from the last word on this innovative thinker. (chronology, bibliography, index) (Picture book/biography. 8-10)
From the Publisher
NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
"Studded with memorable facts and supported by informative sidebars. Rich in color and detail, the oil paintings represent the period well." — Booklist
"An intriguing introduction." — Kirkus Reviews
"This biography shares many interesting facts about Webster and his many achievements. Included is a chronology of his major accomplishments from birth to death. There is an extensive bibliography to compensate for the many direct quotes the author uses within the text. Also included are additional reading and websites to visit and a list of the dictionaries Webster published." — Library Media Connection
