#Movie about tad lincoln movie#

I had a movie in my head with lots of action, emotions, and a hint of surreptitious discipline. I loved honing the scene of Tad leading his animal troops while the gardener raged. Kaitlyn: Wow! Lots of fun research rabbit holes! Now if you had to pick, what was your favorite scene to write about? Beth: Gosh, that’s a tough question. I try to put myself there and find answers to questions like, “What would they encounter on the streets?” I also had to dig into the specific animals, analysis of Tad’s probable disabilities, the Sanitary Commission, “Who was the gardener?”, “Who was the cook?” and more. I sought out information on the setting, examining photos, maps of Washington, D.C., and floor plans of the White House to get the lay of the land and mentally tag along with father and son. Those accounts provided information on his actions and character as others saw him. Besides books on Abraham Lincoln, I dug into what others in and around the President’s House at the time wrote about Tad. There are so many fun adventures in this book, how did you go about researching to find them all? Beth: And there were so many more that didn’t make it into the book! I followed the bibliography breadcrumbs from one source to the next and tried to come at it from different directions. I love that you’re helping kids see historical figures more as real people. I always thought of historical figures as something untouchable. All kids should see the goodness within themselves, and I agree. Making history personal enhances understanding and makes it meaningful today. Also, this book is a window into another side of a famous historical figure and reminds us that the names we encounter in history were real people meeting the challenges of their time and place-not so different from us.

Can you share why books like this are so important to share with our little ones? Beth: I think it’s important for kids to see goodness in themselves and others, even when they appear to be annoying and undisciplined. Kaitlyn: I love that! The layers are so important for a story, and I love that finding those layers helped you find the heart of this story. That additional layer deepened a story about a boy and his papa in the President’s House. Framing the story with Tad’s challenges and differences brought even more power to his capableness and agency. Those personal struggles provided a window into his character, helped me see the world through his eyes, and explained his behavior. As I built the story, I learned more about Tad’s partial cleft palate, speech impediment, and learning differences. That serious angle was balanced by the hilarity of Tad’s creative play and adventures. I loved that a child was the one who provided joy and hope for a president and kept him going. As I dug further, I found a tender father-and-son story in which each saved the other from the sorrows and stresses of the time. It was a cute story but didn’t go deep enough for me when I looked for the “heart” that could drive the telling.

Can you start by sharing where the idea of this inspiring book came from? Beth: As per my usual, I was following crumbs for another story, and I ran across an article about Tad Lincoln being the one who asked for the very first presidential pardon for a holiday turkey. Kaitlyn: Aw, your book made me feel the same about Tad.

Movie about tad lincoln