Published in 1942 shortly after America joined the Allied forces to fight Hitler's march across Europe, the d'Aulaires hoped in this way to contribute to the war effort and the nation's pride in the national anthem. With their remarkable skill in four-color lithographs, the artists have depicted seminal scenes of American life alongside the verses of the anthem. Other scenes include pioneers building a log cabin, the battle of Fort McHenry, Pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower, soldiers marching in formation, and the heroic icons of Washington and Lincoln. With a sense of heartfelt patriotism and devotion to freedom, the artists have captured the spirit of the anthem in these vibrant scenes depicting American life.

36 pgs

About the Authors: After the publication of Ola in 1932, the work of Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire has needed no introduction - their beautiful picture books have delighted countless children ever since. Ingri Mortenson and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire met in Munich where both were studying art in the 1920's. Ingri had grown up in Norway; Edgar, the son of a noted portrait painter, was born in Switzerland and had lived in Paris and Florence. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to the United States and began to create the picture books that have established their reputation for unique craftsmanship. Their books were known for their vivid lasting color. a result of the pain-staking process of stone lithography used for all their American history biographies. This was an old world craft in which they were both expert, which involved actually tracing their images on large slabs of Bavarian limestone. Throughout their long careers, Ingri and Edgar worked as a team on both art and text. Their research took them to the actual places of their biographies, including the countries of Italy, Portugal and Spain when they were researching Columbus; to the hills of Virginia while they researched Washington; and to the wilds of Kentucky and Illinois for Abraham Lincoln, winner of the Caldecott Medal. The fact that they spoke 5 languages fluently served them well in their European travels and in their research of original documents. Since their deaths in the 1980's, Ingri and Edgar's books and works have been kept alive by their two sons Ola and Nils.