You're a Grand Old Flag Book

It's the emblem of the land that we love!

Get ready to salute the flag as Warren Kimble pays tribute to one of his favorite subjects—America! George M. Cohan's classic patriotic anthem, beloved by young and old alike, provides the perfect backdrop for Kimble's playful portraits and stunning panoramas. From sea to shining sea, the stars and stripes appear somewhere on every spread for young readers to find.

This American standard provides a rousing soundtrack for sporting events, picnics, and in classrooms around the country. Sing along with the sheet music in the back of the book as you learn important facts about our flag. Red, white, and blue: hats off to you!

Publishers Weekly

Kimball's (The Cat's Meow) crisp folk art pays star-spangled tribute to Cohan's rousing patriotic song. Rendered in acrylic paint on distressed wood, the inventively textured paintings integrate images of Old Glory in wry ways as they accompany the lyrics. An eagle standing against the backdrop of the flag sports a vest featuring stars and stripes ("You're a high flying flag"). A pumpkin-headed scarecrow flanked by a pair of unfrightened crows with miniature flags in their beaks wears a star- and stripe-studded tuxedo and top hat ("You're the emblem of") and an indisputably proud rooster sports similarly flag-inspired formal wear ("Where there's never a boast or brag"). Kimball balances these entertainingly eccentric interpretations with more conventional renderings: a boat sails serenely past a lighthouse as two flags stand in the background ("And forever in peace may you wave") and a bell-topped one-room schoolhouse sits between two high flying flags ('Neath the Red, White, and Blue"). Kimball wraps up with a note on Cohan's creation of the song (originally titled "She's a Grand Old Rag," which proved too controversial), a brief roundup of "Flag Facts" and a score of the song. This patriotic paean will find an appreciative audience among folk art aficionados. Ages 5-8. (June)