Book Review (Nonfiction and Biography): Lincoln Tells a Joke

Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen and Paul Brewer. 2010. LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE: HOW LAUGHTER SAVED THE PRESIDENT (AND THE COUNTRY). Illus. Stacy Innerst. Harcourt Children's Books: Boston, MA. ISBN 9780152066390

Summary
This biography of Abraham Lincoln shows a different side of Lincoln than what is typically portrayed. This book details how Lincoln often used comedy to make hard situations better and to win people over by using humor.

Critical Analysis
In history books, there is very little, if any mention, of the outstanding sense of humor of our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. In Lincoln Tells a Joke, Krull and Brewer use various sources, including primary sources, to tell the story of Lincoln as a very funny man. In the Note from the Authors, the authors indicate that "Lincoln's jokes in this book are from collections compiled by a variety of people...some of his clever remarks were passed on by eyewitnesses; some are second-hand, third-hand, or further removed." A bibliography is also included which adds to the accuracy of the biography. Plus, Krull is a noted author of biographies for children. The organization of the book is user friendly to children. The information is presented in sequential order from Lincoln's birth to death, and quotes from Lincoln are dispersed throughout the book.

Innerst creates inviting artwork for the book using acrylics on illustration board. He clearly captures Lincoln's humor in the images, plus he is able to capture how people feel around him. The illustrations follow along with the biography and show different major events in Lincoln's life, like the Civil War. Also, the biography and the images perfectly balance each other, without being heavy on one side or the other.

Krull and Brewer have a unique style to Lincoln Tells a Joke. They take a completely different approach to giving information about Abraham Lincoln and present it in a way that is funny and gives the reader a distinctive view of Lincoln, since he is rarely portrayed as someone with such a keen sense of humor. This book gives a good background to Abraham Lincoln and his life story and will encourage readers to learn more.

This biography also portrays a very human side of Abraham Lincoln. Major events in his life are included, from his wedding to his tenure as president. He used his humor to diffuse intense situations. For example, in cabinet meetings he was known to say, "Gentlemen, why don't you just laugh?" Like the title says, laughter did save the president, and the country.

Review Excerpt
Laughter is not only good medicine. It can also be a political tool, human motivator, and saving grace, as the authors show in this upbeat overview of Lincoln’s life. Moving through the sixteenth president’s many challenges, from family deaths to lost elections to fighting slavery, the text emphasizes how Lincoln coped with a joke on his tongue and a smile on his lips. Many direct quotes are interwoven in a contrasting font within the spreads that delve into subjects such as his military service, when he faced “a good many bloody battles—with mosquitoes,” and marriage: “Here I am, and here is Mrs. Lincoln. And that’s the long and short of it.” Innerst’s acrylic artwork feels homey and humorous, very much in the style of his previous work with Krull, M is for Music (2003), and while not every word or picture is necessarily a hoot and a holler, they do present a positive portrait that humanizes the lionized man for whom it was “a love of laughter that kept him going.” Andrew Medler, Booklist

Strengths
The strength of this biography is in how the authors take a historical figure and make him exciting and interesting by giving the readers a different perspective of his life. Lincoln had an outstanding sense of humor that eased emotions and made people feel better about themselves and what was going on in the world around them. One of the other strengths of this biography is how it shows readers that Lincoln was an incredibly hard worker, and achieved great things because of his hard work. Although he was a jokester, he continually wanted to learn more and better himself. This is a great inspiration for students, and adults.


Personal Response and Connections
I really enjoyed this different view of Abraham Lincoln; I never knew he liked to joke around so much. I really like how the authors make him relatable and engaging. This book was a very refreshing and different biography of Abraham Lincoln. I am excited to read more by these authors.

One of the activities that could be done with this book is a springboard for researching famous people. This book shows that researching and writing about a person can be fun and entertaining, as well as a terrific learning experience, I think Abraham Lincoln would approve!