A New York Times Editors' Choice The fascinating story of America’s national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today. Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don’t know is the story of how this everyday “broadside ballad,” one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation’s one and only anthem and today’s magnet for controversy. In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song’s use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem’s meaning reflects—and is reflected by—the nation’s quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key’s song is the story of America itself. Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem’s story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key’s complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song’s resonance and meaning. From its first lines Key’s lyric poses questions: “O say can you see?” “Does that banner yet wave?” Likewise, Clague’s O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters.

A collection of 8 patriotic photos -- most of them include pre-school age children and the flag -- accompany the text of the Star Spangle Banner.

This picture book celebrates and explains America's symbols, landmarks, and important words in lively brief text and bright, humorous illustrations. There are stars-and-stripes T-shirts. There are Statue of Liberty pencil sharpeners. There's an eagle on our money and Uncle Sam Halloween costumes. Symbols are everywhere...but where do they come from? What do they mean? How does something become a symbol? This celebration of twenty of America's important places, interesting objects, and inspiring words is for the youngest Americans. Each symbol is decribed on a two-page spread that is decorated with fun, bright pastels. Plymouth Rock, the White House, Ellis Island, Mount Rushmore, the flag, the eagle, Uncle Sam, the national anthem, and

Tongue twisters abound in this classic Dr. Seuss Beginner Book! "Bed Spreaders spread spreads on beds. Bread Spreaders spread butter on breads. And that Bed Spreader better watch out how he's spreading . . . or that Bread Spreader's sure going to butter his bedding." This riotous collection weaves together a wonderment of words designed to twist the lips. Wordsmiths and beginning readers will love Oh, Say Can You Say? and treasure tackling these tangled tongue teasers. Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read! Launched by Dr. Seuss in 1957 with the publication of The Cat in the Hat, this beloved early reader series motivates children to read on their own by using simple words with illustrations that give clues to their meaning. Featuring a combination of kid appeal, supportive vocabulary, and bright, cheerful art, Beginner Books will encourage a love of reading in children ages 3–7. This Read & Listen edition contains audio narration.

Laugh and learn with fun facts about flowers, plants, fruit, and more—all told in Dr. Seuss’s beloved rhyming style and starring the Cat in the Hat! “I’m the Cat in the Hat, and I think that you need to come take a look at this thing called a seed.” The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series combines beloved characters, engaging rhymes, and Seussian illustrations to introduce children to non-fiction topics from the real world! Grow your brain with fun facts about flowering plants and learn: how they all start out as a seed how they make their own food inside their leaves how bees help spread the pollen flowers need to produce fruit and much more! Perfect for story time and for the youngest readers, Oh Say Can You Seed? All About Flowering Plants also includes an index, glossary, and suggestions for further learning. Look for more books in the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series! High? Low? Where Did It Go? All About Animal Camouflage Is a Camel a Mammal? All About Mammals The 100 Hats of the Cat in the Hat: A Celebration of the 100th Day of School A Great Day for Pup: All About Wild Babies Would You Rather Be a Pollywog? All About Pond Life Happy Pi Day to You! All About Measuring Circles I Can Name 50 Trees Today! All About Trees Fine Feathered Friends: All About Birds My, Oh My--A Butterfly! All About Butterflies Inside Your Outside! All About the Human Body Ice is Nice! All About the North and South Poles

Everywhere you look in Hawai'i, you might see the military. And yet, in daily life few residents see the military at all -- it is hidden in plain sight. This paradox of invisibility and visibility is the subject of Oh, Say, Can You See?, which maps the power relations involving gender, race, and class that define Hawai'i in relation to the national security state. Authors Kathy E. Ferguson and Phyllis Turnbull locate and "excavate" cemeteries, memorials, monuments, and museums, to show how the military constructs its gendered narrative upon prior colonial discourses. Among the sites considered are Fort DeRussy, Pearl Harbor, and Punchbowl Cemetery. This semiotic investigation of ways the military marks Hawai'i necessarily explores the intersection of immigration, colonialism, military expansion, and tourism on the islands. Attending to the ways in which the military represents itself and others represent the military, the authors locate the particular representational elements that both conceal and reveal the military's presence and power.