Lincoln Tells a Joke

Krull, Kathleen and Paul Brewer. Ill. Stacy Innerst. 2010. Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country). Boston, Mass.: Harcourt Children's Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Plot Summary:

Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) is a unique biography of Abraham Lincoln and how his sense of humor and laughter helped him survive some of the more difficult aspects of his life. From joking about his height, losing elections and his mother, and even joking about the difference between him and his wife, readers are presented with a different look at president most known in history for the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, his monument, and his face on the penny. As Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer show readers through this biography, though, one of Lincoln's most memorable, yet least known, aspects was his sense of humor and ability to laugh.

Critical Summary:

Throughout Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) readers learn, or are reminded of, some fairly commonly known facts about President Lincoln. He was born in a log cabin; his mother died when he was nine; he was a voracious learner but couldn't attend school; he was a lawyer; he married Mary Todd; and, he became the 16th President of the United States. These facts are dry, but Kathleen Krull takes these dry facts and makes them fascinating through her irreverent tone, exploration of Lincoln's sense of humor, use of jokes attributed to him, and incorporation of lesser known facts (Lincoln kept a scrapbook of favorite words! As an English teacher, I love this and didn't know this!), and combined with Stacey Innerst's illustrations, the book becomes an engaging (not boring) biography of Lincoln.

The biography is organized in chronological order through Lincoln's life, beginning with his birth in the log cabin to his assassination, but the true connection in this book is Lincoln's humor and use of language. No matter where readers begin reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country), they will learn about President Lincoln through his sense of humor. Lincoln's sense of humor, in the darkest times for him, makes him more human and approachable for readers today who are so often just taught the historical Lincoln, the great speaker who managed to save the United States and was so unexpectedly and horrible assassinated. This biography makes Lincoln more understandable, even contemporary as a comedian, for young readers who only know him from history books.

Not only does the biography take the reader through Lincoln's life, but it also teaches readers about Lincoln's sense of humor and his love of language. Learning is emphasized. For young readers, this serves a dual purpose: Not only do they learn about one of the most famous presidents in US history, but they are also exposed to the idea of constant learning and the importance of reading. Readers learn that Lincoln loved to read and write so much that "he would stand on a tree stump and read aloud" to his friends, that "he wrote his first nonsense poem at age eleven" (Abraham Lincoln/ His hand and pen/ He will be good but/ God knows when), and that "at age seven [Lincoln] learned to write [words]" and "kept a scrapbook of his favorite words." Many young children will relate to Lincoln through this information, because those who are outgoing and enjoy performing will connect to Lincoln by learning this about him.

In our society that sometimes downplays the importance of learning, of education, and of language, this biography of Lincoln shows young readers the importance of them. It is a funny, engaging, and unique look at Lincoln's life that is enhanced through Innerst's illustrations. According to the cover information, the illustrations in the book are acrylics done on illustration board. The illustrations add to the humor of the biography and pair well with the text. One of the layouts shows the White House on one side and a picture window with Lincoln in the background. Lincoln is rocked back in a rocking chair with his mouth open in obvious laughter, but surrounding the illustration of the White House and the window is the word "Ha" in various fonts. The information on these pages concerns Lincoln's election to the White House and how negatively the "proper folks" viewed him because of his sense of humor. The illustration that stands out the most to me, though, is the double layout of a serious Lincoln sitting at a desk, a pen in his hand, obviously writing something. The text on the page discusses Lincoln's gift of language "and how it can inspire people." The background of the page looks like parchment, and scrawled across it are some of Lincoln's most famous words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers..." It is truly a breathtaking illustration when combined with the facts on the page and the reminder of Lincoln's gift for words.

At the end of the biography, the authors provide a bibliography of sources. The only issue in authenticity arises with the jokes attributed to Lincoln throughout the book. The authors state: "Lincoln's jokes in this book are from collections complied by a variety of people, often after his death. Some of his clever remarks were passed on by eyewitnesses; some are second-hand, third-hand, or further removed." Still, whether the quotes are Lincoln's words or not, it does not diminish the fact that this is a Lincoln readers don't often see, and the facts are historically accurate.

Review Excerpts:

"The legends that endure about Lincoln are many: his log-cabin childhood, his honesty, his eloquence. What is less-often discussed is how he used humor to diffuse tense political situations, disarm critics, and undo the stresses of running the country. His love of words in general, and jokes and humor more specifically, helped him throughout his life when things were difficult, uncomfortable, and downright dire, as they often were during the Civil War. Krull is an expert at teasing out the fun, quirky sides of her subjects and sharing them in a way that is both genuine and engaging." School Library Journal, Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

"Krull and her husband, Brewer, begin this unique portrait of Lincoln by cataloguing the reasons he had to be depressed (“His childhood was harsh. He looked homely and he knew it”). Subsequent pages proceed to tell Lincoln's story through the lens of his antidote for these disappointments: humor. Whether finding it in joke books or by making fun of his ungainly frame and snobby in-laws (“ 'One d is enough for God, but the Todds need two,' he wrote”), this chronological biography shows how the president used his sophisticated wit and penchant for wordplay to salve hardships and soothe foes." Publishers Weekly

Awards:

2011 ALSC Notable Children’s Books – Nominated Title
2010 Cybils Nominations: Non-Fiction/Informational Picture Books

Connections:

After reading Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the country) a great idea would be for children to make a collage. Children could make a powerful and informative collage using pictures of Lincoln, the US, etc. and words or phrases from Lincoln's speeches and letters.

The biography could supplement elementary (or even middle or high school) textbook information about President Lincoln. Social studies teachers could use it or English teachers could use it if they study Lincoln's speeches. (I use Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address with my AP students, and I am seriously considering just showing some of the illustrations from this book on my projector to lighten the mood as we read through and annotate his address.)

Teach with Picture Books has a great lesson plan to use with the book and connects it to persuasive writing. This lesson could be modified to fit most grade levels.