Celebrate the USA: Hands-on History Activities for Kids Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Finding great history books for children is always a joy for me. I work in the children's department of a central reference library in upstate New York and historical accuracy is important.
Books that promote a correct and enjoyable study of history are a valuable resource for children. Unfortunately the book "Celebrate the USA: Hands on Activities for Kids" by Lynn Kuntz falls short of this goal. The book has an entertaining format that would appeal to children, but the inaccuracies are outstanding!
The book states that Amerigo Vespucci was a navigator with Christopher Columbus. These two men were contemporaries, but never worked together. Another confusing item mentions that "the thirteen colonies sprouted" 150 years after the first Thanksgiving. The colonies were well established long before 1771. Abraham Lincoln is remembered by the author as " guiding America through the Civil War and helping our country heal afterwards." Children would assume Lincoln to be alive after the war to guide the country through the reconstruction. He was assassinated less than a week after Lee's surrender at Appomatax. Other legends and unsubstantiated tales about Betsy Ross and Richard Amerike are presented as factual. Directions for a five pointed star are difficult to follow.
These examples of errors and unsupported facts make this a frustrating, poorly written and edited book. Consequently the library will not keep this book on its shelf.
- A Concerned Librarian

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Celebrate the USA

Hands-on History Activities for Kids

Lynn Kuntz

Illustrations by Mark A. Hicks

Celebrate the USA: Hands-on History Activities for Kids is a fun and fact-filled children's activity book that celebrates all things American with art projects, crafts, activities, recipes, and games. Brimming with the "whos, whats, wheres, whens and whys" of America, Celebrate the USA encourages kids to use imagination, creativity, and their own two hands to discover American history. More than 50 projects are included to help kids discover their patriotic pride, such as making a glass harmonica, a five-pointed star, an All-American beach-towel banner, a compass, patriotic flip-flops, Fourth of July Poppers, and more! Plus the book includes tasty recipes for Liberty Bell Cookies, Watermelon Bowl Fruit Salad, and more.

Celebrate the USA will help kids:

Learn the surprising stories behind famous American symbols like the Liberty Bell and Uncle Sam.

Uncover little-known flag and firework facts.

Tune-in to tall tales, silly statistics, and oddball American folklore and fun.

Explore "behind-the-scenes" American life for many different Americans.

Understand what it means to be an American.

Learn the history behind American holidays.

An excellent tool for teachers.