Goodreads Review: An inspiring and patriotic tribute to the beauty of the American flag, a symbol of America's history, landscape, and people, illustrated by New York Times bestselling and Caldecott-honor winning artist Kadir Nelson

Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with richly evocative paintings to celebrate the iconic imagery of our nation, beginning with the American flag. Each spread, sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson, depicts a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights marchers shoulder to shoulder, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.

Sparsely worded and rich in symbols, this oversize picture book speaks boldly, both visually and textually.

From the beginning, Nelson’s artistically vibrant images make clear associations between the elements of the American flag and both what they symbolize and the diverse cast of individuals who have contributed, in the past and present, to the freedoms we all enjoy as Americans. Naberhaus’ paired homophones, when considered with the illustrations, echo historical truths. For instance, “Sew together / Won nation,” with a young Betsy Ross sewing the first flag, appears across the gutter from “So together / One nation,” with a crowd of Americans displaying different ethnic, racial, gender, and age markers looking directly at readers. At every point, Naberhaus and Nelson claim America’s multiculturalism and pluralism as assets. Although some might consider this book patriotically didactic, its reliance on symbols leaves much for readers to fill in with their own knowledge and experience. And while this text would probably have been well-received at any time in the past, many adult and child readers will warmly welcome the way it embraces the idea of “e pluribus unum” at this particular historical moment. Notes from the author and illustrator and additional notes on the author’s website about the book provide extra material for classroom discussions.

Naberhaus and Nelson give new life to Old Glory for the youngest of readers .

Gorgeous. Was going to check it out from the library, but instead I sat down and read it there, because I want young children to have as much access to this book as possible. Me taking it from them felt almost mean. ( )

This book is a visual poem about the American flag and our country's freedom with bilingual text. (Spanish and English) ( )

Kadir Nelson's Illustrator's note at the back of the book sums up beautifully how I feel about book. You'll just have to read it to find out what he says. ( )