Gr 1 3 The students in Caleb's class have an assignment to create individual projects to celebrate their ideas of patriotism for Presidents' Day, and the boy is stumped. He is discouraged not only because his father is not around to help him, but also because he will not be attending Parents' Night, when the projects will be displayed. Caleb's dad is in the military. When the child thinks about what patriotism means to him, he remembers that his father taught him to love his country and is inspired to make the most impressive display of all a poster of his dad in uniform, the personification of patriotism. The final page shows Caleb on his bed writing to his father, and the smiling man sitting in a tent looking at his son's picture. Hoyt's color cartoon illustrations are humorous and filled with scenes of an active classroom, with details that include Presidents Washington and Lincoln side by side, saluting. This story is sure to be welcomed by proud families and friends of soldiers who are engaged in battle. The gentle depiction of a boy who turns his sadness and loneliness into a way to respect and honor his father is heartwarming. Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

 

 

This timely picture book shows a child wrestling with the meaning of patriotism. As Caleb thinks about a school assignment ("Make something showing patriotism") and hears about other kids' ideas-a papier-mâché Liberty Bell, a multicolored U.S. map-he feels increasingly confused. "Patriotism is more than a map or a statue. But how do I show that?" His poster-board display featuring a photo of his absent father, a soldier in desert fatigues, illustrates the child's deep, personal connection to the abstract concept. The setup feels artificial, but Skeers paces things well to maximize the dramatic impact of Dad's military role, which is revealed relatively late in the story. Expressive watercolors from Hoyt (illustrator of John Lithgow's I'm a Manatee, 2003) sensitively capture the commingled pain and pride of military separation but also make room for welcome silliness, expressed through anthropomorphized national symbols that run riot inside Caleb's head. A discussion starter on patriotism with special relevance for children affected by deployment. Mattson, Jennifer. 

 

KIRKUS REVIEW

 
Caleb wishes his dad were home to help with his Parents' Night/President's Day patriotism project, but right now dad is far away-in military service. Caleb's eager classmates have project plans aplenty: maps, poems, a Statue of Liberty costume, even a papier-mache Liberty Bell. Caleb's good at drawing, but "Patriotism wasn't something you could draw. . . . " After struggling for an idea, Caleb creates a poster display featuring a photo of his father in full military gear and delivers a touching statement: Sometimes "Patriotism means going away from your family even if you have to miss Parents' Night . . . My dad is patriotism." The assembled are duly impressed, and in an affecting final page, Hoyt offers a sort of split-screen vignette of the child and his father, one sending mementoes of the day, the other on a camp stool, happy to have been remembered and recognized...

From the Columbia Tribune "Celebrate independence with books"

I’m saving the most poignant picture book for last. What really makes Independence Day the greatest celebration for America is remembering all of those who fought and continue to fight to protect our country. "The Impossible Patriotism Project," written by Linda Skeers and illustrated by Ard Hoyt, is about a student’s struggles as he tries to figure out his patriotism project.

He finally realizes his project will be about his dad, who is serving in the military.

PRESS TELEGRAM

A kid struggles to come up with a project when his teacher asks her students to create something that demonstrates patriotism.

Some students draw maps of the United States, while others embark on ambitious projects that involve papier-mache or costumes. Caleb, a good student with much artistic talent, is stumped. His father, who is away fighting for the U.S., provides inspiration at the last moment.

This book is sure to provoke a tear or two as well as a lump in the throat for most who read it. Politicians blather on about patriotism, but it is the men and women in the Armed Forces who have to display their patriotism in lethal circumstances. Although the narrative is less than inspired, it certainly could serve as a powerful discussion prompt for kids. What indeed is patriotism?

 Listed on "Top Ten Books About Patriotism"

http://www.writerstobelievein.com/Patriotism.php