Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

            Krull, Kathleen and Paul Brewer. 2010. Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country). Ill. by Stacy Innerst. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780152066390

PLOT SUMMARY

Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer’s Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country) is a unique take on the life and career of Abraham Lincoln. The opening of the book starts with the phrase “Poor Abraham Lincoln” and proceeds to list all of the things that made President Lincoln’s life difficult: his harsh childhood, family troubles, and the Civil War. Nevertheless, President Lincoln was always able to find the humor in any situation, as illustrated by the numerous quotes and sayings used throughout the story. Krull and Brewer’s entertaining and engaging book chronicles Lincoln’s lifetime love of laughter, from his childhood on the harsh frontier up until his death at Ford’s Theater.  Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country) provides a gentle introduction to history and many opportunities for discussion about Abraham Lincoln.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country) is a delightful read--rich in history and humor. Krull and Brewer provide enough facts to make the book educational, but they keep the content light by flawlessly integrating some of Lincoln’s funniest and most famous quotes.The layout of the book is logical and presents a clear sequence of events, which makes it easy for children to see how Lincoln's life changes over time.

Children will be hooked on Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (And the Country) from the first page. They will be eager to learn how Abraham Lincoln overcame adversity by using his sense of humor. Quotes like “I’d rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh,” humanize Abraham Lincoln and make it easier for children to relate to him and recognize him as a real person. 

The illustrations by Stacy Innerst add to the overall appeal of the book. The big, exaggerated, acrylic illustrations provide a fun depiction of Lincoln, his life, and his presidency. Innerst often depicts Lincoln as a larger-than-life character, much too big to be captured on one page. Although Innerst’s illustrations are whimsical they also brilliantly capture the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial, thus lending credibility to the book's contents. 

Kathleen Krull is a seasoned writer of non-fiction, which is apparent from her attention to detail and the inclusion of supporting sources at the end of the book. The story is fun and interesting and provides a great deal of historical information without being dry or overly wordy. The exaggerated illustrations and humorous quotes make the story an engaging and entertaining read. Moreover, the book lends itself to further discussion about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

KIRKUS REVIEW: “It’s a quirkily specific biography, but, as with Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora’s wonderful George Washington’s Teeth, illustrated by Brock Cole (2003), it reveals the human side of an American icon in an unusual, lively and thought-provoking way”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL STARRED BOOK REVIEW, 2003: “Krull is an expert at teasing out the fun, quirky sides of her subjects and sharing them in a way that is both genuine and engaging. This take on Lincoln is no exception.”

BOOKLIST: “Innerst’s acrylic artwork feels homey and humorous, very much in the style of his previous work with Krull, M is for Music (2003), and while not every word or picture is necessarily a hoot and a holler, they do present a positive portrait that humanizes the lionized man for whom it was ‘a love of laughter that kept him going’.”

AWARDS

*Smithsonian Notable Book for Children, 2010

CONNECTIONS

*Share other picture books about Abraham Lincoln, including:

• Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters
• Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
• Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire

*Create a stove pipe hat (like one found here: http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-plate-abe-lincoln-hat.html) and ask children to perform a choral reading of The Gettysburg Address. 

*In order to reinforce the information in the book, ask children to create a visual timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life.