From the bestselling author of It's a Book comes a funny, touching tale about the legacy of America's greatest president. When a schoolgirl gets separated from her tour of the White House and finds herself in the Lincoln bedroom, she also discovers the ghost of the great man himself. Together they embark on a journey across the country to answer Lincoln's questions and quiet his concerns about the nation for which he gave his life. This wholly original tale is signature Lane Smith; Abe Lincoln's Dream is funny, touching, and surprising in a way only possible from this master picture book creator. This title has Common Core connections. In Smith’s latest presidential-themed offering, the Lincoln Room at the White House is haunted. The proof? Over the years, none of the presidential pets would step paw inside. Enter an inquisitive girl named Quincy (homage to Adams?) who is taking a school tour of the White House and spots the ghost of Lincoln standing over the Gettysburg Address. Quincy and Lincoln tell silly jokes and share what they most often dream about—for Lincoln, he is on a ship sailing toward an unknown shore. Eventually, Quincy leads Lincoln out of the White House and gives him an update on progress since 1865; the former prez is happy to know the states are united. While there are plenty of juicy historical tidbits for teachers and librarians to mine here, kids may need help to follow the random musings and sort fact from fiction. The excellent, textured artwork mixes period and modern details well, and the beige palette, with hints of red and blue, is lovely. A perhaps too-brief afterword references the dream, which haunted Lincoln the morning of his assassination, and notes the “presidential pooches.” HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Highly acclaimed Smith is just coming off his Caldecott Honor win for Grandpa Green (2011). Teachers, librarians, and anyone who knows anything about kids’ books will be anticipating this one. Grades K-3. --Ann Kelley “Lovely.” ― Booklist “...bold and spectacular.” ― Horn Book, starred “An adroit blend of humor, compassion and quiet optimism reflects the statesman's character and make this a first choice for February or anytime.” ― Kirkus “A picture book that transforms the 16th president from a seemingly austere, severe figure into a sympathetic character. . . Smith adds a sense of whimsy through his creative use of fonts and the witty tone of the narrative.” ― School Library Journal, starred review Lane Smith has written and illustrated a bunch of stuff, including the Kate Greenaway Medalist There Is A Tribe of Kids , and A Perfect Day . He is also the author of the middle-grade novel Return to Augie Hobble, as well as author and illustrator of Caldecott Honor book Grandpa Green and runaway New York Times bestseller It's a Book which has been translated into over twenty languages. His other works include the national bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George & Ben . His titles with Jon Scieszka have included the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man ; The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs ; Math Curse ; and Science Verse . Lane's other high profile titles include Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky; The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders; Big Plans by Bob Shea; and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. In 1996, Lane served as Conceptual Designer on the Disney film version of James and the Giant Peach . In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Illustrators. He lives in rural Connecticut with the designer Molly Leach.