America the Beautiful: Together We Stand

A moving celebration of "America the Beautiful" featuring artwork from ten distinguished artists and inspiring presidential quotes!

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: TOGETHER WE STANDEach of our presidents has had a unique vision of America. In AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL, these ideas are translated into gorgeous illustrations by such top artists as Bryan Collier, Jon J Muth, Diane Goode, Mary GrandPre, Raul Colon, Sonia Lynn Sadler, Yuyi Morales, John Hendrix, LeUyen Pham, and Chris Soentpiet. Each of these talented illustrators has found a unique way to interpret the values and beliefs that have built our great country. Through moving illustrations, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL integrates the lyrics of the familiar patriotic tune with inspiring presidential quotations. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL will help teach children about our country's great leaders while highlighting American values such as diversity, unity, and freedom. In addition, the back cover will feature a quote from the winner of the 2012 presidential election.

LeUyen Pham is the bestselling illustrator of Real Friends by Shannon Hall, The Princess in Black series with Shannon and Dean Hall, the Freckleface series by Julianne Moore, Hats Off to You and Shoe-la-la! by Karen Beaumont, and Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, as well as many others. She lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and her two adorable sons who are best friends. Visit LeUyen at leuyenpham.com.
Mary GrandPré has illustrated more than twenty beautiful books, including The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock, which received a Caldecott Honor; Cleonardo, the Little Inventor, of which she is also the author; and the original American editions of all seven Harry Potter novels. Her work has also appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, and the Wall Street Journal, and her paintings and pastels have been shown in galleries across the United States. Ms. GrandPré lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her family.
Jon J Muth is beloved all over the world for his seven books featuring Stillwater the Panda, whose love and balanced approach to life always serve to make the world a better place for his young friends. Muth’s many enchanting picture books include his Caldecott Honor Book Zen Shorts, Addy’s Cup of Sugar, Stone Soup, and The Three Questions, which the New York Times Book Review called "quietly life-changing." His books have been translated into more than 23 languages and are cherished by readers of all ages. Muth draws inspiration from his life-long interest in Asian Studies, including tai chi chuan, sumi ink drawing, and chado, "the way of tea." Muth is also renowned in the world of graphic novels. He won an Eisner Award for his paintings in the graphic novel, The Mystery Play by Grant Morrison. He’s partnered with Neil Gaiman on The Sandman: The Wake, Walter and Louise Simonson, and Kent Williams on Havoc & Wolverine: Meltdown, J. M. DeMatteis on Moonshadow and Silver Surfer, and with Stanislaw Lem on The Seventh Voyage which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Adaptation in Another Medium. He lives in New York State with his wife and their four children.
Chris Soentpiet (pronounced: soon-peet) is an award winning illustrator and author. Aside from writing and illustrating, Chris travels all around the world promoting the love of children's literature, the arts, and multi-culturalism.

When Chris was eight years of age, an American family adopted him from Korea. His talent for watercolors has won him an art scholarship to attend the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York City. After graduating with honors, he wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Around Town. His books have won praise from many critics such as Parent's Choice, American Bookseller, Junior Library Guild, New York Times, and American Library Association.

Bryan Collier loves to paint. He has successfully channeled his creative energy and love of art into an illustrious career as a children's book illustrator and writer. He began painting at the age of 15 and eventually landed a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute in New York. He has won four Caldecott Honors for Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, and Dave the Potter by Laban Carack Hill. His first book, Uptown, won the Coretta Scott King Award and the Ezra Jack Keats Award. He has won five more Coretta Scott King Awards and three Coretta Scott King Honors.
Born in Massachusetts in 1859, Katharine Lee Bates was a poet as well as an English professor at Wellesley College. Her poem "America the Beautiful" was inspired by the sights she saw during a trip from Massachusetts to Colorado in 1893.
Diane was born in New York City. Since 1974, she has created the paintings for more than 30 children's books, including the Caldecott Honor Book When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.Her most recent picture book was The Dinosaur's New Clothes (Blue Sky Press, 1999). About it, School Library Journal wrote, "Young readers will delight in Goode's humorous images of the prehistoric giants festooned in extravagant costumes and the dinosaur images peeking down from the gilded moldings of the palace's sumptuous rooms. ... A delightful addition to standard fairy-tale collections." Diane lives with her husband in Wachung, New Jersey, with their two dogs, a yellow Labrador retriever and a Welsh corgi. Their son, Peter, is an artist.
Yuyi Morales has written and/or illustrated numerous books, including Just A Minute, a Pura Belpre Medal winner, and Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, a Pura Belpre Honor Book. Her work has also earned her the Jane Addams, Americas, and Christopher awards. Born in Mexico, Yuyi now lives in the San Francisco area.