Flags over America: A Star-Spangled Story

Gr 2–5—Prolific American history writer Harness stitches together information about flags as symbols of group unity with an extensive selection of the regional and national standards that defined the United States in its infancy and beyond. The opening pages offer examples of historical emblems, ranging from the colors hoisted on a Phoenician merchant ship to the flags representing imperial powers in the Age of Exploration. Turning to the 18th century, Harness narrows the story's focus to the American Revolution, exploring a variety of designs that colonists displayed during the war. Her account of the conflict and the following War of 1812 highlights the impact of a variety of evocative symbols—toppled statues, colored uniforms—but flags dominate the majority of the detailed, almost textbooklike watercolor and colored pencil illustrations. A few awkward phrases land heavily in an otherwise sprightly text, but Harness does educators a service by mentioning—but not validating—a couple of popular, unsubstantiated flag-related legends she says inhabit a "cloud of history-mystery." Unfortunately, the book's design disrupts the narrative flow on several occasions, particularly a full spread of 10 annotated Revolutionary-era flags that appears in the middle of a section on the Continental Congress and feels like misplaced (though informative) back matter. For those who can overlook the clunky layout and occasional textual thuds, this title is an innovative take on the power and purpose of symbols, replete with early American history and charming details.—Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY