AMERICA GIVES THANKS

The titular character of America’s Dreaming (2024) returns for a class trip to the nation’s capital.

Amid the other students’ grousing (“My dad says all they do in Washington is fight”), America’s teacher Mr. Downs urges the youngster to find examples of how complaints have had positive effects in history. As the children visit typical landmarks—the Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial (“where people often come to complain together”)—America hears whispers of wisdom from historical figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lessons about making change for the better reverberate with America, who later shares lunch with a classmate who didn’t bring one. While the overall tone is uplifting, McKinnon’s stiff text often relies on stilted turns of phrase (“We should always stand with anybody who stands right”). Discussions of significant figures and eras are oversimplified; readers will need background knowledge on, for instance, segregation in order to understand the impact of Marian Anderson’s 1939 performance on the Lincoln Memorial steps, and those unfamiliar with Roosevelt likely won’t be moved by his words on “the test of progress.” Nor does the author’s note provide further context. Phuong’s illustrations set a breezy tone with a muted earth-toned palette, depicting historical figures in ghostly blue. America’s class is diverse, and Mr. Downs is light-skinned; America isn’t portrayed (scenes are instead presented from the protagonist’s point of view).

A feel-good but vague attempt at cultivating an appreciation for U.S. history.