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They Were Strong and Good
Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1941, They Were Strong and Good is a classic book that follows the path of one family's journey through American history. Robert Lawson introduces us to his forefathers and with them we brave Caribbean storms, travel to the wharf markets of New York, and fight in the Civil War. Amidst these adventures Lawson's grandparents meet, marry, and raise a family, and later his parents follow the same cycle of life. But this book is more than just the story of one family, it's a social history of our country. It reminds us to be proud of our ancestors--who they were, what they did, and the effect that they had on the nation we live in today.
None of them were great or famous, but they were strong and good. They worked hard and had many children. They all helped to make the United States the great nation that it now is. Let us be proud of them and guard well the heritage they have left us.
None of them were great or famous, but they were strong and good. They worked hard and had many children. They all helped to make the United States the great nation that it now is. Let us be proud of them and guard well the heritage they have left us.
72 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1940
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756 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lawson
111Ìýbooks70ÌýfollowersBorn in New York City, Lawson spent his early life in Montclair, New Jersey. Following high school, he studied art for three years under illustrator Howard Giles (an advocate of dynamic symmetry as conceived by Jay Hambidge) at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art (now Parsons School of Design), marrying fellow artist and illustrator Marie Abrams in 1922. His career as an illustrator began in 1914, when his illustration for a poem about the invasion of Belgium was published in Harper's Weekly. He went on to publish in other magazines, including the Ladies Home Journal, Everybody's Magazine, Century Magazine, Vogue, and Designer.
During World War I, Lawson was a member of the first U.S. Army camouflage unit (called the American Camouflage Corps), in connection with which he served in France with other artists, such as Barry Faulkner, Sherry Edmundson Fry, William Twigg-Smith and Kerr Eby. In his autobiography, Faulkner recalls that Lawson had a remarkable "sense of fantasy and humor", which made him especially valuable when the camoufleurs put on musical shows for the children of the French women who worked with them on camouflage
After the war, Lawson resumed his work as an artist, and in 1922, illustrated his first children's book, The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat. Subsequently he illustrated dozens of children's books by other authors, including such well-known titles as The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (which later became an animated film by the Walt Disney Studios) and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. In total, he illustrated as many as forty books by other authors, and another seventeen books that he himself was author of, including Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos and Rabbit Hill. His work was widely admired, and he became the first, and so far only, person to be given both the Caldecott Medal (They Were Strong and Good, 1941) and the Newbery Medal (Rabbit Hill, 1945). Ben and Me earned a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1961.
Lawson was a witty and inventive author, and his children's fiction is no less engaging for grown-ups. One of his inventive themes was the idea of a person's life as seen through the eyes of a companion animal, an approach that he first realized in Ben and Me. Some of his later books employed the same device (which was compatible with his style of illustration) to other figures, such as Christopher Columbus (I Discover Columbus) and Paul Revere (Mr. Revere and I). Captain Kidd's Cat, which he both wrote and illustrated, is narrated by the feline in the title, named McDermot, who tells the story of the famous pirate's ill-starred voyage, in the process of which he is shown to have been a brave, upright, honest, hen-pecked man betrayed by his friends and calumniated by posterity. His artistic witticism and creativity can be seen in The Story of Ferdinand the Bull, where he illustrates a cork tree as a tree that bears corks as fruits, ready to be picked and placed into bottles.
In the early 1930s, Lawson became interested in etching. One of the resulting prints was awarded the John Taylor Arms Prize by the Society of American Etchers.
Lawson died in 1957 at his home in Westport, Connecticut, in a house that he referred to as Rabbit Hill, since it had been the setting for his book of the same name. He was 64. He is buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. An annual conference is held in his honor in Westport.
The Robert Lawson Papers are in the University of Minnesota Children's Literature Research Collections.
During World War I, Lawson was a member of the first U.S. Army camouflage unit (called the American Camouflage Corps), in connection with which he served in France with other artists, such as Barry Faulkner, Sherry Edmundson Fry, William Twigg-Smith and Kerr Eby. In his autobiography, Faulkner recalls that Lawson had a remarkable "sense of fantasy and humor", which made him especially valuable when the camoufleurs put on musical shows for the children of the French women who worked with them on camouflage
After the war, Lawson resumed his work as an artist, and in 1922, illustrated his first children's book, The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat. Subsequently he illustrated dozens of children's books by other authors, including such well-known titles as The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (which later became an animated film by the Walt Disney Studios) and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. In total, he illustrated as many as forty books by other authors, and another seventeen books that he himself was author of, including Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos and Rabbit Hill. His work was widely admired, and he became the first, and so far only, person to be given both the Caldecott Medal (They Were Strong and Good, 1941) and the Newbery Medal (Rabbit Hill, 1945). Ben and Me earned a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1961.
Lawson was a witty and inventive author, and his children's fiction is no less engaging for grown-ups. One of his inventive themes was the idea of a person's life as seen through the eyes of a companion animal, an approach that he first realized in Ben and Me. Some of his later books employed the same device (which was compatible with his style of illustration) to other figures, such as Christopher Columbus (I Discover Columbus) and Paul Revere (Mr. Revere and I). Captain Kidd's Cat, which he both wrote and illustrated, is narrated by the feline in the title, named McDermot, who tells the story of the famous pirate's ill-starred voyage, in the process of which he is shown to have been a brave, upright, honest, hen-pecked man betrayed by his friends and calumniated by posterity. His artistic witticism and creativity can be seen in The Story of Ferdinand the Bull, where he illustrates a cork tree as a tree that bears corks as fruits, ready to be picked and placed into bottles.
In the early 1930s, Lawson became interested in etching. One of the resulting prints was awarded the John Taylor Arms Prize by the Society of American Etchers.
Lawson died in 1957 at his home in Westport, Connecticut, in a house that he referred to as Rabbit Hill, since it had been the setting for his book of the same name. He was 64. He is buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. An annual conference is held in his honor in Westport.
The Robert Lawson Papers are in the University of Minnesota Children's Literature Research Collections.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
May 3, 2018
This is a historical record and maybe it should be seen that way. I feel like Robert Lawson is trying to prove that his family were good even through they were racists. I know we can't chose our parents actions, but to me this book feels like he is defending them.
I feel like books like this should be forgotten in the past. There is no reason to keep these racists accounts around. I think Caldecott should strike it from their records and let an honorable mention have the spot in history from now on.
I did not let the kids read this one.
I feel like books like this should be forgotten in the past. There is no reason to keep these racists accounts around. I think Caldecott should strike it from their records and let an honorable mention have the spot in history from now on.
I did not let the kids read this one.
November 8, 2023
They just don't make children's books like this anymore. Sigh.
A bunch of reviewers complained about the stereotypes and racism. This is why this book, by national treasure Robert Lawson, has an average 3.27 rating rather than the 5 it deserves. But we're reading the bowdlerized version....the more offensive language in the 1940 original has been altered. (See the book's Wikipedia entry for some specifics.) I suppose it's your prerogative to find such things offensive (e.g., the author explains that his mother, growing up in Minnesota, didn't like Indians, because they would come into her mother's kitchen and demand food and rub their stomachs until they got it). But most of us, if we sat down and told the simplified but honest stories of our ancestors, would have to include a stereotype here and there, or a little racism. There's more harm in pretending it didn't exist.
August 4, 2016
4.5 STARS As a story about family, I loved it! I'm trying to write an adequate review but for now I will just say that I found Lawson's story touching, fascinating and beautifully told and illustrated. I could really feel the love and respect he had for his ancestors and he conveyed a great deal about their times and attitudes in just a few words and those remarkable illustrations. The little bits of humor sprinkled throughout was such a welcome surprise! And I appreciated how the illustrations helped to progress the story, rather than simply reflecting what was in the text. I can easily see how this won a Caldecott Medal.
This book has drawn its share of criticism down to being called "racist" by some. I didn't get that from the story at all. Certainly it was difficult to read about Lawson's father having "two dogs and a colored boy" (*wince*) or and the illustration of the African-American housekeeper (I assume slave) chasing off the Native Americans was also rough to see. But, I don't feel that Lawson mean this to *promote* racist attitudes. He was portraying history as he had heard it from his parents. The fact was, his father's family were slaveowners. And his mother was afraid of Native Americans and didn't like them. Indeed, we are all from diverse backgrounds and hold various attitudes, many of us may have parents/grandparents/great-grandparents from less tolerant days who were still "strong and good" on the whole but who had their prejudices, too. The points raised in Lawson's text certainly merit discussion with children, but I think there is much to admire in the book, too. As with the men and women who shaped the America he is so proud of, there are some unsavory aspects but also a lot to celebrate.
This book has drawn its share of criticism down to being called "racist" by some. I didn't get that from the story at all. Certainly it was difficult to read about Lawson's father having "two dogs and a colored boy" (*wince*) or and the illustration of the African-American housekeeper (I assume slave) chasing off the Native Americans was also rough to see. But, I don't feel that Lawson mean this to *promote* racist attitudes. He was portraying history as he had heard it from his parents. The fact was, his father's family were slaveowners. And his mother was afraid of Native Americans and didn't like them. Indeed, we are all from diverse backgrounds and hold various attitudes, many of us may have parents/grandparents/great-grandparents from less tolerant days who were still "strong and good" on the whole but who had their prejudices, too. The points raised in Lawson's text certainly merit discussion with children, but I think there is much to admire in the book, too. As with the men and women who shaped the America he is so proud of, there are some unsavory aspects but also a lot to celebrate.
May 20, 2010
I was horrified when I started reading this—the tacit approval of prejudice against Indians, the nonchalant references to slavery, its blasé understanding of the pilgrims and the pioneers—until I realized that it was written in 1940! It won the Caldecott that year. It’s amazing how our tastes develop over the years—I don’t think the illustrations would win the Caldecott in 2010, not because they aren’t good but because they aren’t innovative. And how our understanding of history changes, too. This is a thoroughly white-centered history. Of course, there are plenty of people today who still understand American history through that lens. You just don’t often see it so blatantly presented in picture books.
January 13, 2014
This is a fascinating account of the family history of a man. He admits that some of it might be mixed up or made up after so many years, but for the most part, it is a biography of his immediate family tree. The story is very interesting and the black and white illustrations are wonderful. It was written in 1940, so it's amazing to think that the story is more than 70 years old and yet still is as important as a historical account as it was then.
I will acknowledge that there are things written in this book about slavery, Native Americans, religion, and war (among other things) that would not be acceptable today. But in my opinion, that makes this book even more important to treasure, as it is an accurate portrayal of life in those times. We really enjoyed reading this book together, especially since we attended a Civil War program at our local library the next day and many of the same topics were discussed.
This is the next to the last book for us to read until we are caught up with the list as it stands now. Of course, they will add new books each year, but once we read by and , we'll be finished until they announce next year's book. Then we can continue working on the list. We're not even halfway through that list!
This book was selected as one of the books for the January 2014 - Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the in the Children's Books Group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
I will acknowledge that there are things written in this book about slavery, Native Americans, religion, and war (among other things) that would not be acceptable today. But in my opinion, that makes this book even more important to treasure, as it is an accurate portrayal of life in those times. We really enjoyed reading this book together, especially since we attended a Civil War program at our local library the next day and many of the same topics were discussed.
This is the next to the last book for us to read until we are caught up with the list as it stands now. Of course, they will add new books each year, but once we read by and , we'll be finished until they announce next year's book. Then we can continue working on the list. We're not even halfway through that list!
This book was selected as one of the books for the January 2014 - Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the in the Children's Books Group here at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
September 2, 2016
I just have no words for this. Honestly, I know what time in history it was written but I was thoroughly disappointed that this is an award winning book.
January 28, 2012
I read this book to my son. I feel kind of bad for him.
Not our favorite book.
Not our favorite book.
January 10, 2017
Love, love, love Robert Lawson's illustrations and stories. This is one of his best.
December 10, 2012
1. Children’s Book- Other
2. This book reflects on the lives of Robert Lawson’s ancestors, throughout history, living in America. It shows them braving Carribbean storms, walking through the streets of New York, and fighting in the Civil War.
3. Critique
a. This book was a recipient of the Grand Caldecott award in 1941. The illustrations are clearly the most important element in this book, and they are beautiful and well done.
b. Although I am not a huge fan of the story itself because it is rather outdated, it is important to acknowledge the importance of the illustrations, and the almost cartoon-like way in which they are portrayed.
c. There is a page with beautifully drawn Native Americans, as well as an African American woman and what seems to be a Caucasian girl in the background. These illustrations show the idea of other races at the time in intricate detail.
4. This book is by no means “politically correct�, but can provide a great insight for older students to describe how ideals of other races were viewed in the 1940’s, and how they have evolved.
2. This book reflects on the lives of Robert Lawson’s ancestors, throughout history, living in America. It shows them braving Carribbean storms, walking through the streets of New York, and fighting in the Civil War.
3. Critique
a. This book was a recipient of the Grand Caldecott award in 1941. The illustrations are clearly the most important element in this book, and they are beautiful and well done.
b. Although I am not a huge fan of the story itself because it is rather outdated, it is important to acknowledge the importance of the illustrations, and the almost cartoon-like way in which they are portrayed.
c. There is a page with beautifully drawn Native Americans, as well as an African American woman and what seems to be a Caucasian girl in the background. These illustrations show the idea of other races at the time in intricate detail.
4. This book is by no means “politically correct�, but can provide a great insight for older students to describe how ideals of other races were viewed in the 1940’s, and how they have evolved.
November 28, 2019
Having won a Caldecott Honor in 1939, for Munro Leaf's
- he also worked with Leaf on the classic picture-book,
- Robert Lawson went on to win the Caldecott Medal itself in 1941, for this exploration of his family tree. First telling the story of his maternal grandmother and grandfather - the one a Scottish sea captain in New York, the other a Dutch farm girl from New Jersey - and then of his mother, raised in Minnesota; Lawson turns next to the story of his paternal grandfather and grandmother - an Englishman in Alabama, who fought Indians, the Devil and the Yankees, and a young Alabama girl who loved the preacher's voice - and then his father, who also fought in the Civil War as a young boy, before coming North to make a living. Although neither great nor famous, they were "strong and good," Lawson maintains, helping to build America and to leave a heritage that their children could be proud of.
They Were Strong and Good is a book with some admirable qualities, from the gorgeously detailed, etching-like illustrations - I have loved Lawson's work since the time I was a little girl, and would pore over my tattered copy of incessantly - to the concept of family history as American history. I like the idea of tracing one's ancestors' stories, and of showing pride in their accomplishments. That said, there was also some content here that made me extremely uncomfortable: the way in which the Indians in Minnesota are depicted as frightening food thieves that would descend upon Lawson's mother's house (apparently the language was changed in later editions, from "tame Indians" to just "Indians"); and the portrait of Lawson's father's idyllic hunting childhood, with his two beloved dogs and his slave, Dick. Lawson depicts racist realities from our past - the hatred of Native Americans, the enslavement of African-Americans - and he is not explicitly condemnatory in his depiction. Moreover, he presents his white characters - his grandparents and parents - as "strong and good," despite their participation in the racist culture of their day.
I don't doubt that they were strong and good, in many ways - and I have little tolerance for the viewpoint that we have nothing to be proud of in our history, because we have sometimes done wrong - and I think that deserves to be celebrated. But this celebration just felt a little tone-deaf to me, ignoring some of the elements of our history (whether as a nation or a family) that weren't strong and good, even though they appeared right there in the story. All in all, I think this title would work best for older children, perhaps those reading together with an adult, who can point out and discuss some of the problematic aspects of the text and artwork.
They Were Strong and Good is a book with some admirable qualities, from the gorgeously detailed, etching-like illustrations - I have loved Lawson's work since the time I was a little girl, and would pore over my tattered copy of incessantly - to the concept of family history as American history. I like the idea of tracing one's ancestors' stories, and of showing pride in their accomplishments. That said, there was also some content here that made me extremely uncomfortable: the way in which the Indians in Minnesota are depicted as frightening food thieves that would descend upon Lawson's mother's house (apparently the language was changed in later editions, from "tame Indians" to just "Indians"); and the portrait of Lawson's father's idyllic hunting childhood, with his two beloved dogs and his slave, Dick. Lawson depicts racist realities from our past - the hatred of Native Americans, the enslavement of African-Americans - and he is not explicitly condemnatory in his depiction. Moreover, he presents his white characters - his grandparents and parents - as "strong and good," despite their participation in the racist culture of their day.
I don't doubt that they were strong and good, in many ways - and I have little tolerance for the viewpoint that we have nothing to be proud of in our history, because we have sometimes done wrong - and I think that deserves to be celebrated. But this celebration just felt a little tone-deaf to me, ignoring some of the elements of our history (whether as a nation or a family) that weren't strong and good, even though they appeared right there in the story. All in all, I think this title would work best for older children, perhaps those reading together with an adult, who can point out and discuss some of the problematic aspects of the text and artwork.
December 15, 2013
Ok, so, the 8 year old niece actually really liked this book, which I was kind of surprised by. And while she specified that we should give it a 5 star rating, I feel compelled to mention some rather serious issues I had with the book and consequently that I tried to address with my niece. This book seems to have a very... unselfconsciously glib view towards slavery and Native American history and the art work as it pertains to those two groups is definitely un-PC. All told though, I think what kept my nieces attention was the simple, direct telling of the authors family heritage, which does have a simple kind of charm to it. While reading the book and then after we were done, I mentioned some of what I saw as being the authors attitude towards the issue of slavery/race relations and Native Americans and explained alternative view points, as well as just whole concepts that the author left out entirely. (Such as WHY his father "no longer had his negro, Dick, after he came home from the civil war." !!!!) These negatives probably make the book sound absolutely atrocious but really, they made up a very small part of it and overall I would say it provides an easy opportunity to talk about such things with children who are even somewhat young. And the rest of the story is interesting and engaging.
November 21, 2017
I thought it was brilliant, and I loved the "I'm proud to be an American." aspect of it. The illustrations are stunning! I do get a little judgy about part of his family being on the wrong side of history. However, at the same time I'm glad he didn't smudge over it! AT ALL! It happened and we need to talk about it. I'm also happy he didn't call that person "Strong and good" when they were fighting for the wrong side.
December 31, 2011
The one part I did find amusing was where the text says that his Mother's Mother "did not like sailing on the sea" with a corresponding illustration of her backside as she is vomiting over the side of a the boat.
Related material on Debbie Reese's blog:
Related material on Debbie Reese's blog:
September 15, 2011
1941 Caldecott Medal Winner
The etched drawings in this book were very striking. Slightly cartoonish, but mostly realistic.
Lawson writes about his grandparents and parents from the past to the present. As someone who is interested in family history, I loved the idea of illustrating one's own history and writing it out for future generations. Family history doesn't have to be dry, though, nor does it have to be dumbed down for children. The repetition of "they were strong and good" got pretty old--how were they strong and good? Let's use some other descriptors here.
I don't completely agree with the comments about the book being racist, especially for its time. The drawings of Black people were realistic and not in the insulting "blackface" style I saw in the Abraham Lincoln Caldecott book from just the year before. And in the author's time, words like "Negro" were the words that people used. I felt like the author's tone was very matter-of-fact and not disrespectful. When he describes his mother being frightened by the Indians who would come and sit on the family's kitchen floor, he wasn't commenting on who the Indians were as people at all--he was just stating what those particular Indians did, and that his mother didn't like them. He gave no more respect to the white lumberjacks on the next page who also frightened his mother as a young girl. In addition, if you are writing about a white person's biological family history, you are more likely than not going to be writing about the experiences of a bunch of specific white people, so it doesn't really make sense to include other cultures' points of view in that anyway (although in our day and age, we would probably be more likely to point out anachronistic viewpoints in a text like this one. I can think of a few stories from my own family history that I probably wouldn't tell without making it clear that I didn't support the attitudes of that time. I think those stories are important to tell though, because we can't move beyond racism without acknowledging it in our past. Would we have Lawson NOT mention his father's slave and pretend that slavery just didn't happen? I don't think that would be helpful at all).
The etched drawings in this book were very striking. Slightly cartoonish, but mostly realistic.
Lawson writes about his grandparents and parents from the past to the present. As someone who is interested in family history, I loved the idea of illustrating one's own history and writing it out for future generations. Family history doesn't have to be dry, though, nor does it have to be dumbed down for children. The repetition of "they were strong and good" got pretty old--how were they strong and good? Let's use some other descriptors here.
I don't completely agree with the comments about the book being racist, especially for its time. The drawings of Black people were realistic and not in the insulting "blackface" style I saw in the Abraham Lincoln Caldecott book from just the year before. And in the author's time, words like "Negro" were the words that people used. I felt like the author's tone was very matter-of-fact and not disrespectful. When he describes his mother being frightened by the Indians who would come and sit on the family's kitchen floor, he wasn't commenting on who the Indians were as people at all--he was just stating what those particular Indians did, and that his mother didn't like them. He gave no more respect to the white lumberjacks on the next page who also frightened his mother as a young girl. In addition, if you are writing about a white person's biological family history, you are more likely than not going to be writing about the experiences of a bunch of specific white people, so it doesn't really make sense to include other cultures' points of view in that anyway (although in our day and age, we would probably be more likely to point out anachronistic viewpoints in a text like this one. I can think of a few stories from my own family history that I probably wouldn't tell without making it clear that I didn't support the attitudes of that time. I think those stories are important to tell though, because we can't move beyond racism without acknowledging it in our past. Would we have Lawson NOT mention his father's slave and pretend that slavery just didn't happen? I don't think that would be helpful at all).
July 30, 2018
Great day in the morning, was this one a shock. It starts off well enough as the author begins telling us about his grandparents and their experiences in America, and the illustrations done in just black with the effect of printer's plates are striking, especially for the time period as color printing wasn't used much back then. And then it takes a nosedive and keeps descending. We're treated to stereotypes of Native Americans who wander into kitchens demanding food (forget the fact the settlers are actually on their land) followed by a preacher who lists his slave along with his dogs (after them, actually) and a young boy who just can't wait to go off and face those darn awful Yankees. The illustrations of the white characters are nearly photorealistic, but the non-whites are so bad I felt like I was looking at a Jim Crow poster. I've heard there is a version of this that removes "offensive language." I'm not a big fan of censorship in general. This book was originally written as racist, and if students want to study it as an example of what not only could pass for a moral children's book in the 1940s but was so accepted that it actually won the Caldecott, fine. Other than that, I see no reason for this in a classroom.
ETA after second read-through: Yes, every bit as bad as I remembered, if not worse.
ETA after second read-through: Yes, every bit as bad as I remembered, if not worse.
August 2, 2018
Problematic for racism against Native Americans and African Americans.
I don't have a problem with books depicting racism because obviously racism exists and should be present in the stories we tell particularly about different time periods. My problem with this book starts with the title: "They Were Strong and Good". The title could instead be "They Were Privileged and Wrong".
It's okay to be proud of your relatives even if they were slaveholders and to share that. BUT, maybe don't state they were good right before you talk about their slaves. Obviously they weren't that good, a lot of good people were opposed to slavery before it was illegal. Maybe don't state that your relatives were good right before you state that they didn't like the starving natives whose farmland they basically helped steal.
Those elements make the story a bit creepy and make Robert Lawson sound wistful for the days of open racism and slavery.
I don't have a problem with books depicting racism because obviously racism exists and should be present in the stories we tell particularly about different time periods. My problem with this book starts with the title: "They Were Strong and Good". The title could instead be "They Were Privileged and Wrong".
It's okay to be proud of your relatives even if they were slaveholders and to share that. BUT, maybe don't state they were good right before you talk about their slaves. Obviously they weren't that good, a lot of good people were opposed to slavery before it was illegal. Maybe don't state that your relatives were good right before you state that they didn't like the starving natives whose farmland they basically helped steal.
Those elements make the story a bit creepy and make Robert Lawson sound wistful for the days of open racism and slavery.
June 29, 2017
As someone who finds history & genealogy fascinating, I really wanted to love this book. As someone who thought Lawson's illustrations in Rabbit Hill & Wee Gillis were beautiful, I really wanted to love this book. I understand why people say "But it was the times!" Still, you know what? Nope. I just can't see any reason to share this one with kids.
October 2, 2018
They Were Strong and Good is a short narrative of genealogy, focusing on Lawson’s parents and grandparents, and how they came to be and met each other. Using a traditional and realistic art style, Lawson uses ink to illustrate his family’s backstory and accomplishments. This book depicts the lesser-known stories of those who helped create America, purposefully leaving figures such as presidents and generals to other authors. Interestingly enough, Lawson also makes sure to illustrate and discuss enslaved people in his family’s stories, thereby including them in the narrative of America’s being. It’s short, sweet, and informative. Great for grades 2-4.
Review cross-listed !
Review cross-listed !
February 6, 2024
They Were Strong and Good is the 1941 Caldecott Award winner.
I really did like these illustrations. I believe the medium was etching, not 100% sure. The book is kind of a personal history of Robert Lawson's family, told in a fun, tall tales way that was enjoyable. He even added a forward stating that "most of it I heard as a little boy, so there may be many mistakes; perhaps I have forgotten or mixed up some of the events and people..."
I really did like these illustrations. I believe the medium was etching, not 100% sure. The book is kind of a personal history of Robert Lawson's family, told in a fun, tall tales way that was enjoyable. He even added a forward stating that "most of it I heard as a little boy, so there may be many mistakes; perhaps I have forgotten or mixed up some of the events and people..."
May 7, 2018
1941 Caldecott Medal. I love this book. A great way to start talking about and be reminded of family roots.
June 27, 2019
I picked up this book at the library because it was on the medal winner shelf and I remembered reading it long ago. Thank God times have changed and perhaps this book needs to be put with all the other books of its time that are not alert to social injustice, especially racism.
Read
August 4, 2022Please take this book off your library's shelf.
July 16, 2021
White people that were "strong and good" did stuff so that Robert Lawson could be born and write this book.
September 18, 2020
Whew. Yikes. This is some straight-up Lost Cause propaganda crap. I would never recommend this book, and I probably would never have picked it up if it wasn't a Caldecott Medal winner.
This book depicts racist/White Supremacist stereotypes (which apparently have been revised and softened from the original version - check out Wikipedia). These include portraying Native Americans as savages, a black "mammy" chasing away greedy Native Americans, depicting the Civil War as a just and righteous cause, and runaway slaves as dangerous and violent. The author's mother "did not like" Native Americans, and their "savage" instincts are equated with rough-and-tumble lumberjacks, who also frightened her.
These depictions are likely accurate reflections of the author's ancestors attitudes at the time, and probably his own attitudes in the 1940s (let's not forget the Lost Cause narrative was popular when he was young). I think it's important to preserve these types of books so we can see how it's 2020, and racism is still a huge problem in the U.S.
Just the fact that the title of the book is "They Were Strong and Good" is a problem. In the Author's Note, Lawson says that the stories within are reflective of all Americans who helped make "the United States the great nation that it now is. Let us be proud of them and guard well the heritage they have left us." I don't think I'm reading too much into this. Lawson is explicitly telling us that the attitudes and belief systems he depicts in his book are important for us to preserve.
When we ask ourselves in 2020, "How do we still harbor these racist attitudes?" let's look to things like this book. It's a perfect depiction of how racism passes down in families and is taught to children. Whites have been taught for too long that our ancestors were "strong and good" and morally right, when in reality we need to denounce racism for the evil it is and move forward in humility and justice.
This book depicts racist/White Supremacist stereotypes (which apparently have been revised and softened from the original version - check out Wikipedia). These include portraying Native Americans as savages, a black "mammy" chasing away greedy Native Americans, depicting the Civil War as a just and righteous cause, and runaway slaves as dangerous and violent. The author's mother "did not like" Native Americans, and their "savage" instincts are equated with rough-and-tumble lumberjacks, who also frightened her.
These depictions are likely accurate reflections of the author's ancestors attitudes at the time, and probably his own attitudes in the 1940s (let's not forget the Lost Cause narrative was popular when he was young). I think it's important to preserve these types of books so we can see how it's 2020, and racism is still a huge problem in the U.S.
Just the fact that the title of the book is "They Were Strong and Good" is a problem. In the Author's Note, Lawson says that the stories within are reflective of all Americans who helped make "the United States the great nation that it now is. Let us be proud of them and guard well the heritage they have left us." I don't think I'm reading too much into this. Lawson is explicitly telling us that the attitudes and belief systems he depicts in his book are important for us to preserve.
When we ask ourselves in 2020, "How do we still harbor these racist attitudes?" let's look to things like this book. It's a perfect depiction of how racism passes down in families and is taught to children. Whites have been taught for too long that our ancestors were "strong and good" and morally right, when in reality we need to denounce racism for the evil it is and move forward in humility and justice.
May 4, 2018
Lawson tells the story of his parents and grandparents, and how they came to help shape the history of America. He accompanies the stories with detailed pen and ink drawings, for which he won the Caldecot medal. Some of these illustrations are delightful � I liked the contrast between a “modern� city and the farm land that was just two generations previous, and laughed at the illustration of the aftermath when a parrot nearly devoured a Panama hat. I also appreciate Lawson’s acknowledgment of oral story telling traditions, and of children listening and learning their own family histories from their elders. I certainly spent many an enjoyable evening listening to my grandparents, aunts and uncles regaling us with stories of our family’s past.
So why the low rating? I realize this is a product of its time (originally published in 1940), and that Lawson was proud of his ancestors and their accomplishments. But I am disturbed by the racism within. The depictions of “happy slaves� and “thieving Indians� just leave a really bad taste in my mouth. And now that I know this is the “revised� edition (see for some of the original language), I’m even more unhappy. Perhaps it offers an opportunity for parents to have difficult discussions with their children about those episodes in America’s history, and the changing attitudes over the years. But I just don’t like it.
So why the low rating? I realize this is a product of its time (originally published in 1940), and that Lawson was proud of his ancestors and their accomplishments. But I am disturbed by the racism within. The depictions of “happy slaves� and “thieving Indians� just leave a really bad taste in my mouth. And now that I know this is the “revised� edition (see for some of the original language), I’m even more unhappy. Perhaps it offers an opportunity for parents to have difficult discussions with their children about those episodes in America’s history, and the changing attitudes over the years. But I just don’t like it.
February 6, 2014
My kids enjoyed this story and I liked the fact that it looked back to ancestors and gave short stories about how they ended up where they did to meet each other. It starts with a section named "My Father's Mother" and moves through to his father then through his maternal grandparents to his mother. Then he talks about his parents' lives and how they came to meet and have him.
Now, I'm sure many people lambast this book because it was written before the time of political correctness. One of his grandfathers owned a Negro slave and no judgement was made in the text. I am fine with that. I was able to simply say to my kids that people used to own other people and, though it was wrong, that was just the way it was then. There was also an incident with Indians that walked into their house and demanded food. She said she didn't like them. It is called history. This is a story from his family's past and it is what happened.Again, I can add in that this was not how all Indians behaved. The judgements that were made and that I appreciated was that these people were strong and good. They worked hard, had lots of children and helped to build America.
Others might be upset that this simple black and white book won the Caldecott. I can see how it doesn't match up to today's standards, but it won in 1941. The pictures are nice and have a beautiful, eye-catching crispness to them.
Now, I'm sure many people lambast this book because it was written before the time of political correctness. One of his grandfathers owned a Negro slave and no judgement was made in the text. I am fine with that. I was able to simply say to my kids that people used to own other people and, though it was wrong, that was just the way it was then. There was also an incident with Indians that walked into their house and demanded food. She said she didn't like them. It is called history. This is a story from his family's past and it is what happened.Again, I can add in that this was not how all Indians behaved. The judgements that were made and that I appreciated was that these people were strong and good. They worked hard, had lots of children and helped to build America.
Others might be upset that this simple black and white book won the Caldecott. I can see how it doesn't match up to today's standards, but it won in 1941. The pictures are nice and have a beautiful, eye-catching crispness to them.
January 26, 2021
I think this book should only be used as a teaching moment for older kids. It was a good lesson on how people making bad choices, often believe they are making the right choices, or at the very least, are passively accepting of those choices. It's up to us to look at our actions and our attitudes toward people and make sure we are doing what's right, regardless of whether or not those actions are being accepted by society. It's also a good lesson on how our ancestors add to who we are, but it is our choice whether or not we learn from their mistakes, or follow the same paths they did. It's a thought provoking book for sure. However, think carefully before you let your child read this book. In my opinion, it should come with parent guidance through it, lest your children get the idea of racism being okay. Side note: I do find it mildly amusing that at the end of the book, the author says that his ancestors made America what it is...foreshadowing of today's race issues??? Also, it's very interesting how other books get banned, but not this one. Hmmmm.
December 28, 2014
Wonderful, solid book. I read this as a continuation of my journey through the Caldecott winners. The pictures, of course, were lovely. I also enjoyed the layout of the book. Perhaps everyone should write their own version of this book about their ancestors who were "strong and good." (Of course some of us have ancestors who were NOT strong and good, but we can still focus on the ancestors who were.) I very much enjoyed the general message that it is good to learn about your ancestors and to tell their stories, even if they aren't famous. Actually, particularly if they aren't famous. It was interesting to me that one of the ancestors in the book fought in the Civil War on the side of the south. The author offers no apology for his ancestor being on the "loosing" side. The ancestor is described as "strong and good" and a part of what made this country great. No discussion of the politics of the war.
January 16, 2014
Early Caldecott winner.
I quite enjoyed this. It is the story of the author's parents and grandparents. He tells several stories about each of them, all trying to show that they were strong and good. I know that many people will find these stories troublesome as they lived in a time of slavery and racist attitudes. While I do not condone these attitudes...I find them abhorrent, I do believe a book written in the 30's about people who lived even earlier is likely to contain attitudes we would find disturbing today., I think they were widespread at the time and I still believe you could be strong and mostly good even if you held these attitudes. I love reading and hearing stories about my ancestors and I am fortunate that one of my grandparents is still alive and the other three have died within the past four years, so I grew up hearing their stories and learning about my ancestors. So this story is appealing to me.
I quite enjoyed this. It is the story of the author's parents and grandparents. He tells several stories about each of them, all trying to show that they were strong and good. I know that many people will find these stories troublesome as they lived in a time of slavery and racist attitudes. While I do not condone these attitudes...I find them abhorrent, I do believe a book written in the 30's about people who lived even earlier is likely to contain attitudes we would find disturbing today., I think they were widespread at the time and I still believe you could be strong and mostly good even if you held these attitudes. I love reading and hearing stories about my ancestors and I am fortunate that one of my grandparents is still alive and the other three have died within the past four years, so I grew up hearing their stories and learning about my ancestors. So this story is appealing to me.
March 23, 2015
I'm fascinated by this book! I love the illustrations and how the author uses them to tell a story and not just reflect the text. I love how proud he is of his ancestors and how sweetly that comes through. But, then I couldn't help cringe when the fact that his mother did not like the Indians or his father owned a slave came across as natural or acceptable. He did write the book in the 1940's (things were different then). Anyways, it was an interesting read because there's a "cringe" factor and "feel good" material all in one. I ended the book a little conflicted, really liking it and feeling guilty about it, crazy:)
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