A legend exists that Abe Lincoln haunts the White House, a tale that supposedly arose when the pets of the subsequent occupants of the presidential mansion refused to set paw in his bedroom. Lane Smith plays a riff off that legend and takes it to higher ground in this delightful story. A young girl separated from her class on a tour of the White House encounters a ghostly and, of course, melancholy Lincoln wandering the halls. He's very concerned about the state of the nation for which he made the ultimate sacrifice. So, trying to cheer him up, she takes him on a whirlwind tour of the country to show the great strides we have made since his untimely death. Lincoln had a recurring dream that he was on a ship sailing to an indistinct place and he often had this dream before momentous occasions. Smith alludes to this in his lovely final illustration. A lovely read for elementary grades. My daughter and I enjoyed this book, as we are lovers of Washington DC and she could easily recognize the monuments and the White House. She also loved that the little girl had big curly hair just like her. I loved the illustrations in this book and the inclusion of White House dogs. It was a little manic, and the text needed better formatting to signify transitions between speakers, but the effect was dreamlike and oddly perfect for toddlers, I felt, as they often jump from thought to thought, like from dreams to puppies, or from ghosts to the moon. Overall, it was a wonderful book and not one to be missed for fans of President Lincoln.
What do You think about Abe Lincoln's Dream (2012)?
Beautiful illustrations, but the story is lacking something special.
—rhheaa
Pleasant, but a paper-thin way to open up a can of worms.
—Judesule
