School Library Journal

Hale returns to history in sequential art format, this time tackling the Alamo. Vicente Guerrero, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and Stephen F. Austin lead the titular “all-star” cast in this tale of how an untamed land became Texas. In the early 1800s, Native Americans, the Mexican government, and settlers from other areas of the United States were fighting over the territory that would become the Lone Star state. Hale’s vivid illustrations—rendered in black, white, and shades of gray, with tinges of yellow—and witty text tell the story, from Texas’s near wilderness beginnings to the Battle of the Alamo and Gen. Sam Houston’s ultimate victory over Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Complete with maps, this title is far more effective in telling the complete history than a straightforward state history book. VERDICT With its balance of gifted storytelling and hard facts, this work will appeal to reluctant readers and fans of history alike. A must-have that will add value to any children’s graphic nonfiction collection.—John Trischitti, Midland County Public Libraries, TX