Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America

My presents to my grandchildren usually involve items that have to be shared with one of their parents because I have this funny idea that interaction between them is to be encouraged. This book is going to be combined with a puzzle of the United States. By giving them to the six-year old granddaughter, then they can be passed down to the four-year old at a later date.

The states are not in any particular order- not alphabetically, not in order they joined the U.S. The pages are cluttered with information. They are so busy that I cannot read a single word. Hugely disappointed.

My kids love this book. It's very informative and they love the fact that there are relatable characters. The illustrations are adorable and resemble the illustrations from Fancy Nancy books, which my 3 girls love. Perfect for homeschooling! And not a bad price, either. It's a lot more sturdy than expected. The pages are thick. The type is small, but that doesn't seem to bother my kids.

If Robin Preiss Glasser is your illustrator you can't go wrong. Then add Lynne Cheney's years of studying American history and you have a best-selling children's book. We love this book in our family. I ordered it before Thanksgiving thinking of it as a gift, but then couldn't wait to share it. It's fun to sit with youngsters, pick out a state (we use one of our favorite puzzles to do that...a puzzle of Our 50 States), find that state in the book and then have fun reading about that choice. Each state's page includes the date that state entered the Union along with a lot of other interesting information. In the front of the book is an index that tells the reader the page each state can be found on in case you want to find a particular state and move on from there. (You may notice in looking at the book on the store's site, that the great state of Michigan is the page shown as a sample.)

Some years back I ordered, through a company associated with Highlights magazine for kids, a set of booklets and maps for each state of the Union. This is a perfect companion piece to that set. Our grandkids already love those books and maps.

The book may be a little busy for children who have difficulty focusing on the task at hand, but, in general it is a very entertaining and informative book. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book to learn many interesting things about America and all the pages are done in colored drawing form which is great for children. I have gone through the book several times and my 7 year old grandson has viewed and read it more. A very good format to learn many of the facts you never knew about America's states.

I ordered this for some of our 18 grandchildren for Christmas presents. I think that it is a wonderful way to get them to think about our country and some of the interesting facts that they might not have known any other way than through a light hearted attractive page of facts to digest easily. I even got interested in some of the pages myself and learned some facts that I did not know. Thank you Mrs. Cheney for your effort to enlighten our children and give them an extra heads up on geography.

Pat Burlingame

Waterman, Illinois

This is a wonderful book! Title is "Our 50 States" written by Lynne Cheney. This book should be read by every child and adults should also.

One of my great-grandaughters, 10 years young, said "this book is great and it will be wonderful for social studies." I bought one for each of my five(5) great-grandchildren. Very pleased grandmother!

What a great way to teach young children about US Geography. My daughter loves the map in the front of the book to trace out routes to new and exciting adventures. When she gets to the state her adventure ends, we read that page together. At 4, she really loves to learn about the states.

Of all the books I bought for Christmas, this book was one of my favorites. The drawings were fun and the information was not only interesting but educational. My husband and I enjoyed thumbing through the book and reading different things we weren't aware of but my grandson loves it and has spent hours telling us different things he has been learning as he reads. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in having fun yet still learning about OUR 50 STATES. Thank you.

I bought 3 books for each set of grandchildren, who have learned very little about our states in public schools.They were excited to receive the book, which contains so much information and is so well illustrated. Many adults could take advantage of the book also.

My grandchildren have enjoyed reading about and viewing all the things they have seen when visiting the places in the USA. It is a good book to give them ideas of what to see and places to go when they visit other states in the USA. It also gives them an appreciation of all the wonderful things we have in our country of America.

My 2nd grade grandchild is studying & doing research on the United States & immediately began to look up some of the states she has already studied as well as some of the states she has been to visit. This is a wonderful book for young children.

This book is a great read! Children will surely love this book learning about fun facts about the 50 states of America. You can learn so much by reading this fun educational book. It's a great way for children to learn about history reading and seeing the moving pictures that are very detailed. This book makes a great gift!

Cynthia Marie Rizzo, author of "Julie and the Unicorn" and "Angela and the Princess"

An exciting trip throughout the 50 states with history, facts and fantastic illustrations. I gave it to my grandchildren, nieces and nephews and children of family friends all received with rave reviews!

This hardcover and richly illustrated 74 page book published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing was gifted to my six year old daughter for her birthday. It is the story of a family that sets out to visit our entire country starting out in New England. It has nice illustrations and simulates what the ultimate trip across America might be like for a modern day family with kids. They visit most of our best tourist attractions in every state.

My daughter found this book to be very boring although I tried to read it to her numerous times she could always find something she'd rather hear. She loves books and spends considerable time at our great local library. It is one of the few books she has not liked. We will be donating this book to the local children's hospital in Orange County where we donate Gina's books when she is too old for them.

Our country's history, diversity and culture have been so beautifully blended together and illustrated in "Our Fifty States." The presentation of facts and illustrations are so rich and alive that they will no doubt inspire youngsters to want to learn more about the history of their state and nation. From cover to cover this book is pure joy!

Unlike many of the other reviewers of this book, who I'll wager have not actually read OUR 50 STATES but are purely venting political frustration, I'm a patriotic Democrat who LOVES this book for its honest, joyous depiction of our great country. There is so much to learn about and so many odd "Did you know?" kind of facts which children love. The pictures are complex, while at the same time intimate -- it's a book a young person will pour over for hours at end. This book belongs on your bookshelf no matter what your politics are.

No matter what your political views, this beautiful book, reminding all of what is so extraordinary about the United States and all that its' people have accomplished, is a don't miss! By looking through its gorgeously illustrated pages one is reminded of what IS truly great about our country, and it does so in an entertaining and informative way. I will be proud to give it as gifts to all of the children I know for a long time to come.

An American family goes on a road trip from state to state, experiencing the history, music, geography, personalities who've made a difference to our history, etc. It is chock full of comments from the children and highlights from each state in our union. For students and adults who actually care about this country, this book is a treat. Take a look at it!

I do not detect any political bias in the book that some of the reviewers allude to.

Absolutely a great book, written by a lady who has knowledge of the beauty and history of America. Children all across the country should read this book and learn how lucky they are to be living in The United States of America.

Once again, the pairing of Cheney and Preiss-Glasser is a success. Our 50 States is a lovely, informative, witty book for children as well as adults. It's to be savoured and not necessarily devoured in one sitting. The illustrations are plentiful and precise and the text equally rich. My 8 year old daughter and I read just one or two pages a night so we could absorb its beauty and did not rush through it. It's the journey, not the destination, afterall! I highly recommend this book.