Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama

Obama, B., & Long, L. (2010). Of thee I sing: a letter to my daughters. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Of Thee I Sing is a wonderful picture book written by Barack Obama as a letter to his daughters highlighting all of the qualities of historical figures that he sees within them.   There are 13 individuals that made an impact on history, all being from different cultures and backgrounds.  Obama not only shows children that they are capable of being incredible human beings, but also overviews miniature biographies on each historical figure.  From the swing of Jackie Robinson's bat, to the philanthropy of Jane Addams' selfless heart, this book is sure to tug at your heart strings. 

This book is ideally for children of years 5 - 8, but can definitely be used in upper levels for mini history lessons, not only for what is inside, but how a former president wrote this piece. 

This story is touching and truly a wonderful read as you can feel the emotion and love that is poured into each page.   This book displays diversity throughout, and gives credit to all different cultures and ethnicities.    A child in a classroom will be able to see someone of their own color and be able to relate.  It is a perfect balance of history, while also maintaining the integrity of a wholesome feel of family love. 

What's Inside?
Metaphor:  This piece uses metaphor to compare the courage of Jackie Robinson to that of a lion.
He swung his bat with the grace and strength of a lion and gave brave dreams to other dreamers. 

Allusion: The entire text is filled with references to historical figures, using their strength and courage as examples of traits that his own children have. 

Imagery: Throughout this book, there are descriptions used to help paint pictures for the readers.  They can truly visualize the image that the author is attempting to portray.
She helped us see big beauty in what is small: the hardness of stone and the softness of a feather. 

The illustrations portray all characters very beautifully and are easily recognizable by not only face, but the surrounding actions and objects.  

How can we teach this?
This book gives us an opportunity to teach history to young children who may not know about historical figures of color or even women throughout history.  

Have your students pick a historical figure and write a poem about what they've accomplished.  Then as a community, pick out traits that students might see within themselves, showing them that even the tiniest of humans can change the world.