"Studded with memorable facts and supported by informative sidebars. Rich in color and detail, the oil paintings represent the period well." —Booklist

"An intriguing introduction." —Kirkus Reviews

"This biography shares many interesting facts about Webster and his many achievements. Included is a chronology of his major accomplishments from birth to death. There is an extensive bibliography to compensate for the many direct quotes the author uses within the text. Also included are additional reading and websites to visit and a list of the dictionaries Webster published." —Library Media Connection

This beautifully illustrated and exceptionally well-written picture book is a must have for any school/public library. As a subject, Noah Webster is, in my opinion, one of the more interesting personages in American history because of his revolutionary ideas about the importance of language and words—at one point he pushed for an American language that eventually became the Americanized version of British English—and his innovative ideas about education. Most of us only know Noah Webster as "the guy who wrote the dictionary" to quote one of my students. However, this book does an exemplary job of sharing Webster's life and the experiences that framed his ideas on everything from the Federalist model of government to the need for more accessible and consistent spellings of words to encourage student learning. Webster's devotion to learning probably stood out for the most for me, and his ideas on education are still ones that we should value: small class size, rewarding students for good work, encouraging all to gain as much education as possible, and so forth. This book also has one of the most complete chronologies of a subject's life that I have seen in a picture book; the inclusion of both primary and secondary sources in the further reading section is also exemplary. This is a wonderful addition to any library. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.