This remarkable book traces the changes to the lyrics of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” over the centuries to meet the needs of changing times. From the Boston Tea Party, to enslaved people, to Native American Indians, to suffragettes to Martin Luther King Jr., the words have been used to inspire Americans to action. Source Notes, Bibliography, Further Resources.

Informative, enlightening and fascinating with exceptional illustrations by Bryan Collier. ( )

Explains how the song "My country, 'tis of thee" can be understood to go along with the expansion of civil rights in the United States. ( )

This book follows the history of the song “America” and how the lyrics evolved over the years to reflect the political exigencies of the day. Because it is such a well known tune, and because it is such an iconic statement of about the ideals of America, generations of protestors have changed the words as part of their struggles for rights.

The author explains that the song first appeared in England in the 1740s as “God Save the King.” She then takes the song across the Atlantic where the colonists sang it, altering the words when they declared independence.

In 1831, Samuel Francis Smith published the version we sing today that begins with “My country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.” But women, blacks, Native Americans, and labor activists later issued adaptations of the song to reflect their lack of liberty.

In each instance, the author explains the context and supplies some of the new verses.

She continues her journey through American history, culminating with the stirring speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963 when he spoke of his dream of transforming the nation into one of brotherhood, declaring:

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing…."

She concludes by noting that forty-five years after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s plea, the first person of color was elected to be President of the United States, and Aretha Franklin sang “America” at the inauguration.

But she doesn’t suggest the struggle for equal rights has ended. She writes:

"Now it’s your turn. Write a new verse for a cause you believe in. Help freedom ring.”

At the end of the book, the author provides source notes, a bibliography, links to further resources, and sheet music for the song as we know it today.

Multiple award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier uses dramatic two-page mixtures of watercolors and collage. As always, he doesn’t just illustrate the text; his imagery adds his own commentary, enhancing the text with additional meaning.

Evaluation: This is an excellent way to teach children American history from a unique perspective, in two senses: one is that it provides an encapsulation of American history from the viewpoint of minorities, and two, it uses a clever and interesting approach with its focus on the changing lyrics of one song. ( )

A simply fascinating look at the history of a beloved song that has been used by various groups in the fight for political, social, and economic justice since the 1740s. Someone should absolutely turn this book into an educational, musical performance piece.

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