★★★★★ 5
Interesting book about the flag that inspired the National Anthem
Format: Hardcover
Our Flag Was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner, written and illustrated by Jessie Hartland, was released just last month. I requested it from the library months ago... Unfortunately, it didn't make it to my hands before I published my 4th of July booklist, but I have it now, and it's wonderful!
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Our Flag Was Still There this tells the story of the flag that eventually our National Anthem. While I knew the story of Francis Scott Key’s inspiration, I didn’t know anything about the actual flag that he saw, nor did I realize that I’ve seen it myself. I didn't realize how big it was, how long it took to make, or that it was made largely by a group of women. And then I read this book!
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But this story is about so much more than just a flag. Through her words and illustrations, Hartland gives a little information about America's independence and the War of 1812, which led to the commissioning of this extra-large flag. We meet the widow, Mary Pickersgill, and her family and indentured servant, who worked together to make this enormous symbol of our country. Hartland introduces the British attack of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. And then we see Key, who witnessed the attack from a boat and penned a poem in honor of the victory and the American flag that was still flying proudly over the city. Finally, we learn about how Key's poem eventually became our national anthem, as well as what happened to her famous flag between 1814 and present-day.
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Yes, Our Flag Was Still There teaches a little bit of history, but it also honors hard work and women from a time in history from which we know mostly men. I appreciate the relative simplicity of the illustrations, as many historical picture books have so much going on in the illustrations that it's hard to know where to look. Like me, you may appreciate knowing the history of the flag behind the song and the realization that you've seen that flag before (in the Smithsonian Museums)!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2019
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