What better day than PRESIDENTS' DAY to turn the spotlight on a nonfiction picture book, REVOLUTIONARY FRIENDS: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, written by Selene Castrovilla and illustrated by Drazen Kozjan.
CALKINS CREEK, 2013
This is a distinctly appealing account of the Washington/Lafayette relationship we've all heard about, if only in HAMILTON. This nonfiction picture book has a deeply touching heart. Lafyette is often portrayed as a young, flamboyant, even cavalier Frenchman (of minor royalty) whose attention to the American Revolutionary War seems more youthful bravado than commitment to a cause.
At least that's the way I have viewed him. In this case, we see Lafayette and Washington in the full relationship that arose between them, that of a mentor/father/son with and deep true affection. Washington's national stature was the earned success of a non-nobleman, a general, then a president. He was a generation older, stood a head taller, and exuded the solemnity and stability that counterbalanced the zeal and exuberance of young Layfayette.
This account makes clear that Lafayette's idealism was deep-seated and spanned the Atlantic to embrace both continents. He viewed himself as fully French and yet devoted himself and risked his life (repeatedly) to support the cause of the rebellious colonies.
I'm a fan of the text, including the brief and well-chosen inserts from Lafayettte's own writing. The illustrations range from formal introductions and settings to tense moments of war and treatment of threatening injuries. While revealing the formality of a bygone time and military roles, portrays of their contacts, expressions, and postures reinforced their mutual respect thoroughly.
The back matter provides the remaining stories that readers (at least this one) longed to discover, as well as life-line timelines for each. It's a worthy addition to what seems a well-worn era, and one that humanizes the costs to emotions and personal commitments to a high-minded cause- Democracy.
This is firm reminder of the force of big ideas, adherence to principles, and dedicated friendships. It would be accessible for younger readers but is especially valuable for use with older readers in integration with social studies and history. The material opens discussions about where borders and b outcries lie in relation to deep-seated principles. It also presents a wealth of enlivened scenes for considering the relaunching of democracy in a modern (at the time) society that had for centuries been configured on monarchies, power, and wealth. Highly recommended.
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