National Monuments of the USA (Americana, 4)

This book on National Monuments is excellent! My 12 year old devoured it and kept sharing the facts he learned as he was reading. I was impressed by the creative writing that draws you in to each description and inspires you to visit each monument in person. I appreciate how the book is organized by region with illustrated maps at the beginning of each section. The illustrations are beautiful throughout the book as well. I highly recommend this book as well as the National Parks of the USA book by the same illustrator. As a former teacher, I think that both of these books should be in every 4th grade classroom to encourage and inspire the Every Kid in a Park program that offers FREE entrance to all National Parks and Monuments in the US for 4th graders AND their families. Many 4th grade families don’t know about this amazing opportunity. All that’s needed is to sign up online and have the pass at the park entrance and the entire family gets in free (everykidoutdoors.gov).

The first monument the book covered was the Statue of Liberty. The second was the Stonewall LGBTQ monument. We loved the illustrations in our National Parks book by the same illustrator (which I highly recommend), and thought this would be a win, but unfortunately it’s a return. When there’s so much rich history to our country (albeit an imperfect one), I find it rather off-putting to highlight this monument in a children’s book. And yes, putting it second to the Statue of Liberty means something. Yep, I see that. Even Civil Right’s monuments, Fort McHenry, the fort that overlooked a famous battle in the Revolutionary War (in which our National anthem was written), and our National Mall and Memorial Parks come second to this very particularly aimed featured monument. The sexual identities creating the acronym LGBTQ are listed along with featuring a snippet about a sculpture called Gay Liberation. The illustrations include a drag queen, pride parades, gay men, and an explanation of the rainbow/trans/poc flag. Mt. Rushmore? Nope. Drag queen? Yes. Beautifully illustrated agenda.

this book is a great way for families to explore the national monuments of the united states through absolutely beautiful illustrations and well written text. it's a great gift to give to families! it can be enjoyed by kids of any age if there's an adult to read the text to them. you'll finish with a big list of places your family will want to travel to. and yes, this book features a spread on Stonewall, which is a National Monument designated by the National Parks Service in 2016 by Barack Obama. if you have a problem with your child seeing two men holding hands - wake up, it's 2023. by the way, if you think one of your favorite national monuments is missing - it might be a national park, and there's a book of those too by the same illustrator - chris turnham. check it out!

We are a homeschool family, and travel is a big part of how we approach social studies and history. I absolutely loved this book as a way to help me plan our adventures in other states! It is beautifully illustrated. The tone of the writing is warm, inclusive and respectful. I personally feel a deeper connection to our country after reading this, and think it is a wonderful teaching tool. Highly recommend!

I thought I was purchasing a beautifully illustrated book about some national monuments that we were traveling to see, and instead got 2 pages (right up front) of an inappropriate topic for young children. Also, what is the "wide eyed" logo on the cover about? Is grooming the intent? Returned.

So many interesting stories and facts in this gorgeous and well written book - Turnham’s art pulls you in, imaginative and beautiful. I see some reviewers are angry that it’s inclusive -Stonewall and Birmingham civil rights are thoughtfully given attention- but it’s that diversity that makes our country (and this book) so great. I’m buying as a gift for adults as well.

National Monuments presents a highly selective choice of sites that illustrate the natural and historical monuments of the United States. The monuments chosen aren't necessarily the ones you think of immediately, that makes for a different book. But I am also a little befuddled to how the choices were made. The book is very nicely illustrated with drawings that will appeal to the targeted age group (6 to 10 year old) and the language is appropriate for that age range as well. Rather than being divided into the traditional north, south, plains, west, etc this book is divided into east, central, mountain west, southwest, west, Alaska and tropics. I am not sure how well that works--it seems to be based on time zones. Anyway, the choice of sites is interesting. There is a mix of natural and historical. I found the neglect of natural sites in the South to be glaring--no Everglades for example. Indeed the Southern sites are mostly focused on Civil Rights era places, which fine but there is more to the South than that. The western sites are all natural, it would be nice to see some historical sites emphasized the same way as in the east and central. Indeed, this book is strongest and best at describing the natural sites and that might have been the way to go for the whole book. The book is good, interesting, and informative, but with some limitation as noted. Parents should also know that there is a discussion of the Stonewall area of New York, so if you don't want to expose your young children to that story, know that it is there. If you want to, the text is appropriate. Best for natural sites like Muir Woods and the John Day Fossil Beds

My great nephews love this book. But - it’s not just for kids. I have learned the history about many new ones. It’s well written and beautifully illustrated and a great gift for family, friends or classroom libraries.

I’ve admired Chris Turnham’s work for years; his prints hang in several rooms of my home, and seeing his art across a hundred pages is a joy. This book isn’t just beautifully illustrated, it’s inclusive and thoughtful: exactly the kind of world I want my children to grow up in. From a UK perspective, I loved how it goes beyond the usual landmarks to show sides of America we rarely see. That breadth makes it richer, more surprising, and more engaging. Some readers may prefer only the “famous” monuments, but for us, the value is in its variety and inclusivity. The stories here show how many different people have helped shape the world, and this book captures that with warmth and respect. Whether you’re already a fan of Turnham’s art and Cameron Walker’s writing, or simply want a family book that inspires curiosity about the wider world, this is a treasure. We love it in our home.