From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-As a young lawyer, Abe Lincoln found that his stovepipe hat came in handy for more than just covering his head. It also served as a good place to keep important papers. Brenner weaves this and other anecdotes about our 16th president into this easy-to-read selection. Watercolor illustrations highlight the sometimes choppy but informative text. Pair with David Adler's A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Holiday, 1989) where beginning biographies are in demand.Lesley McKinstry, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, OHCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. A far cry from the reverent tone of most children's books on Lincoln, this short, anecdotal biography actually humanizes him. Lincoln is shown as a struggling and somewhat disorganized lawyer who makes his way through goodwill and good sense. The book begins with his purchase of a tall black hat. Later, a group of boys rig up a high wire and knock it off his head, scattering the important papers he kept inside. Courtroom stories include Lincoln proving which man owned a young horse by letting the colt loose to go to its mother and his defense of a slave's right to be granted freedom in Illinois, a free state. Although Brenner includes no source notes, she states that all the stories she relates are true. The humor, lively lines, and soft, shaded colors of Cook's illustrations add to the book's appeal. Carolyn Phelan


Book Description
Illus. in full color. Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents,

started out in life as an absent-minded frontier lawyer. How did he nudge his

memory? He stuck letters, court notes, contracts, and even his checkbook in his

trademark top hat. When he took off his hat, it was all there!







Card catalog description
Frontier lawyer Abraham Lincoln cures his absent-mindedness by placing letters, court notes, contracts, and his checkbook in his tall black hat.


From the Inside Flap
Illus. in full color. Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, started out in life as an absent-minded frontier lawyer. How did he nudge his memory? He stuck letters, court notes, contracts, and even his checkbook in his trademark top hat. When he took off his hat, it was all there!    

ANNOTATION

Why did Abe Lincoln always wear a tall black hat? Why, to keep his important papers safe! This and other anecdotes about Lincoln as a young lawyer show just how fair and funny he was. Tall and lanky, always with a joke up his sleeve, Lincoln persevered to become one of the greatest presidents the United States ever had. Photographs of Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Judge David Davis, and others are included.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This series of affordable paperbacks offers an appealing variety of fiction and nonfiction by such popular authors as Jean Marzollo, Joyce Milton, Richard Scarry, and Joanna Cole￯﾿ﾽall carefully geared to the particular reading level of the reader. Using large, bright, full-page pictures and repetition to reinforce word comprehension, the Early Step Into Reading level is perfect for the just-beginning set. While Step 1 uses the same large type, this level offers greater story lines and more words per page. Step 2 moves into more complicated stories with an expanded vocabulary, and in Step 3, readers encounter paragraphs of text and a denser plot line. By Step 4, the books have chapters and feature many thrilling nonfiction topics. Grade 1 - Grade 3.

SYNOPSIS

Why did Abe Lincoln always wear a tall black hat? Why, to keep his important papers safe! This and other anecdotes about Lincoln as a young lawyer show just how fair and funny he was. Tall and lanky, always with a joke up his sleeve, Lincoln persevered to become one of the greatest presidents the United States ever had. Photographs of Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Judge David Davis, and others are included.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal