Product Description: An inspiring homage to a beloved anthem. From his unique perspective as the great-great-grandnephew of Katharine Lee Bates, the woman who wrote 'America the Beautiful,' Chris Gall transforms this unfaltering symbol of American strength and beauty-from 'purple mountain majesties' to gleaming 'alabaster cities'-into monumental works of art. Honoring his ancestry and profound national pride, Gall enhances these timely lyrics with historical and contemporary imagery as diverse as Sacagawea's travels with Lewis and Clark, the Tuskegee Airmen, and firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero. Musical notation and an author's note, as well as the song's words written in Bates's own hand, are also included in this remarkable book for all ages.
Chris's beautiful perspective The odd thing about this book is why it took so long to come out. Chris Gall is an illustrator and the great-great-grandnephew of Katherine Lee Bates so I wonder why he had not created these pictures ages ago.
The sixteen stunning pictures were engraved on clay-coated board which makes them very graphic rather than watercolor soft and I enjoyed the little design touches here and there, for instance a picture of some Shoshone Indians in a boat passing a very streamline looking waterfall or a small town snow scene with the buildings placed at different angles to each other.
The choice of image is also refreshing, to illustrate 'A thoroughfare for freedom beat. Across the wilderness!' has a family with their Airstream parked in the open landscape or 'Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears!' showing a window cleaner eating his lunch and sitting on one of those Art Deco eagles on the Chrysler Building. This kind of originality and warmth comes across from each picture.
The book is well produced and it occurs to me that these illustrations are so good and all the same size that they are worth framing, depending on one's favorites.
Great for Small Children I purchased this book for my daughter for her second birthday. We have read it so many times over the past year, that she is the only child her age that knows all four verses of this wonderful song.
MAGNIFICENT WORKS OF ART by BATES' NEPHEW.... I had pre-ordered several copies of "America the Beautiful," by well-known illustrator, Chris Gall in January 2004. Simply put, Chris Gall is one of my favorite artists of all time. His style is bold, campy, and original.
Today, I received the books and I was AMAZED.
The book, "America the Beautiful" is BEAUTIFUL. What is even more beautiful is that Chris Gall shares in the preface how a framed copy of Katharine Lee Bates' verse, written in her own hand, inspired him so much as an artist as he was growing up.
Gall bestows a MAGNIFICENT tribute to his great-aunt's stirring song. Each line of Bates' meaningful verse is paired with a beautiful illustration by Gall. These works of art depict a nation blessed with God-given gifts; a nation built on justice, optimism, hope, and a shared love of America's land.
After viewing this book, which is pristinely made with thick paper and rich colors, I intend to buy several more as gifts. There are wonderful images of the Statue of Liberty, Pike's Peak, immigrants, the Apollo II, and my very favorites - the firemen of Sept. 11th, and the WWII Tuskegee Airmen.
Because "America the Beautiful" is not just a book which is great for artists or children or to grace the coffee table (although that is where MINE is going!), it is a work of art - which magnificently stirs the patriot within us all...
Wow Wonderfully colorful and powerful illustrations! I especially like the refreshing and unique interpretations of each phrase-- Nice as a coffee table book too.
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