O Captain, My Captain: Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War

Oh Captain, My Captain is an impressive, artistic picture book that tells about the time of Civil War and also the interesting friendship between Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln. The two men admired one another for what they did but never got the opportunity to actually meet. The book goes into many details of Walt Whitman’s life: for example, how we cared for wounded soldiers; some soldiers say that these visits might’ve saved their life. And it shows and tells about many dark chapters of the Civil War.

The author has a great way of adding Walt Whitman‘s original words and poetry into the mix. When I first got the book, I was not sure what to expect; I’ve learned a bit about this time in school, but this goes way beyond.

The book isn’t easy to read because of all the suffering during this time, but I think it’s important to know our history. The artwork in this book was amazing and added a goosebump feeling. Kids that have a true interest in this era will like it. I would recommend it for 12 for its rather dark theme.