Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner
Audiobook7 minutes

The Star Spangled Banner

Written by Peter Spier

Narrated by Aretha Franklin

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

About this audiobook

On September 11, 1814, the British Fleet arrived at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Thus began the Battle of Baltimore, which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen The Star-Spangled Banner. Featuring Aretha Franklins soulful, heartfelt voice, our flags broad stripes and bright stars will shine through in all our children's voices as they sing along in celebration of America's unity and strength.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2002
ISBN9780545749596
The Star Spangled Banner

Related to The Star Spangled Banner

Related audiobooks

Children's Music & Performing Arts For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Star Spangled Banner

Rating: 4.283333566666666 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

30 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Award-winning children's-book author/illustrator Peter Spier turns his attention to the creation of the American national anthem in this informative and engaging picture-book. Composed by Francis Scott Key in 1814, as he witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, during the War of 1812, the song celebrates the continued presence and waving of the American flag, indicating that the fort had not fallen to the enemy. Spier uses the first, second and fourth verses of the song as his main text, pairing the famous words with illustrations both historical and contemporary. His extensive afterword gives the story of the song's composition - it was originally a poem entitled "The Bombardment of Fort McHenry" - and of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore. The musical notation accompanying the lyrics is also presented at the rear, along with a history of the flag flown during that fateful twenty-four hours...An excellent introduction to the eponymous song and to the War of 1812, The Star-Spangled Banner was originally published in 1973, and then in this new edition in 2014. The text (as could be expected) holds no surprises, and is beautifully matched to the artwork. I particularly liked the two-page spread depicting all the places of worship, although the illustrated end-papers, which show both the evolution of the American flag and the many other flags used by various governmental personnel and military branches, were also lovely. I think Spier's choice to leave out the third verse (which speaks of the defeat and death of the enemy) was well made, given that this is a children's book, and a celebratory one. One wonders how he would have illustrated a line like "Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution," if he had not made this choice. The full version is presented at the back, so no relevant information has been omitted, from a historical and informational perspective. Although not explicitly about the 4th of July, this would make an excellent selection for this time of year, and is one I would recommend to anyone seeking children's books addressing the American national anthem and its history.