The Capitol: A Meet the Nation's Capital Book

by Lindsay Ward, Lindsay Ward (Illustrator)

Overview

Fans of Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy World will enjoy this fun, interactive picture book about the nation’s capitol, the meeting place of Congress. Learn more about this important building in the first book of this picture book series.

Welcome to the Capitol! The Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress. Over 2,000 people work here, including 100 senators and 435 representatives from all 50 states.

Peter is visiting his dad, the head mason. Nima is meeting up with her mom, a senator. Gabriel is handing out headphones with his grandma, an official tour guide at the building. What will they see and learn at the Capitol?

This interactive book is perfect for kids to learn all about the different people who work in and help maintain one of the country’s most important and famous buildings. It includes educational backmatter, a glossary, counting prompts, and search-and-find elements.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063203808
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lindsay Ward is the author and illustrator of over two dozen books for kids. Her most recent titles include Jessie: Queen of the Road (Two Lions, 2023), The Capitol (HarperCollins, 2022), and Pink Is Not a Color (Two Lions, 2022). She lives in Ohio with her husband, three boys, one dog, and flock of ducks. Visit her online at lindsaymward.com. 

Lindsay Ward is the author and illustrator of over two dozen books for kids. Her most recent titles include Jessie: Queen of the Road (Two Lions, 2023), The Capitol (HarperCollins, 2022), and Pink Is Not a Color (Two Lions, 2022). She lives in Ohio with her husband, three boys, one dog, and flock of ducks. Visit her online at lindsaymward.com. 

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2022

Gr 1–3—Fact-packed and populated with scenes of people who represent wide-ranging ethnicities, skin colors, and skills, this book is a good choice for children who have been hearing about headlines concerning the Capitol for over a year. They will uncover history about the three branches of government, the interiors of the Rotunda, who works there, the men and women of the Senate, and why it's so important. What prevents this book from being exemplary nonfiction is a silly find-the-cat subplot and the planting of fictional school children among the representatives and scenes that are just too real to trivialize with make-believe. Also missing: varied body types, varied heights among the adults, wheelchairs, crutches, canes, sign language, hearing aids, or anything to indicate that the people at the Capitol truly represent an actual sample of a real-life population. Back matter includes a glossary, notable facts, and resources. VERDICT A missed opportunity for a grand tour, but a starting point for some children.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

School Library Journal

2022-07-27
An introduction to the U.S. Capitol and all the people who work there.

Well, not all—but interspersed with glimpses of the public halls and chambers, Ward lines up gallery after gallery of tiny, individualized, racially diverse people. Each of the dozens of figures, from vice president to speaker of the house, sergeant at arms to plumber, comes with a job title; for some, brief explanations of their duties are provided. A plotline involving three brown-skinned children (whose parents work at the Capitol as a mason, a U.S. senator, and a tour guide) pursuing an elusive kitty provides a pretext for the tour and is linked in the backmatter to a note about a ghostly cat long said to haunt the building. A list of additional facts at the end supplements those scattered throughout, and the author invites young viewers to take closer looks at the carefully drawn scenes to spot the cat and other features, such as the compass stone on the floor of the Crypt. Readers tantalized by the much quicker tour in Lynn Curlee’s Capital (2003) will pore over this series opener. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An informative guide for future young visitors as well as armchair tourists. (search & find, sources, glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews