This informational ABC book acts as a biography of sorts, showing that not all life stories are told along a timeline and that Abraham Lincoln was about more than just the Gettysburg Address.

Alan Schroeder provides readers with a unique format for this biography about Abraham Lincoln. Set in the style of an alphabet book, with several entries for each letter, it tells the story of Lincoln’s life and accomplishments. Each page also contains witticisms attributed to Lincoln. The entries range from funny to odd and interesting little known facts about Lincoln, his family and the time period in which he lived. Though O’Brien’s illustrations, done in ink and condensed watercolors , are amusing and colorful, they are very busy and can distract from the text.

Much too long and text heavy to make a good read aloud, it is still creative and fun way to learn more about the 16th President of the United States. However because of it’s unconventional format, this biography would not work well for student research. Recommended for ages 7-11. ( )