A Primer About the Flag

PreS-Gr 2—Readers expecting information about the Stars and Stripes or other well-known flags will be surprised by this primer. The free-verse poem takes a fun look at less-familiar flags, among them bed-and-breakfast, shipboard signal, and state-fair flags. The biggest surprise: "little flags that come from the barrel of a gun and say, BANG." As for leading a parade, "you usually have to have a flag for people to line up behind. Few would line up behind a small tree...if you carried it at your waist just like a flag but didn't first tell people what it stood for." The lively illustrations help children follow the verse. Unique banners, including branches and leaves spread over two pages, wave briskly across the clean white backgrounds. The vibrant colors of the flags contrast boldly with the heavy-lined, black-and-white figures and structures. Children would appreciate this book primarily for the solid yet simple drawings.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH