Quinby Frank (Children's Literature)
This picture book biography is a lovely tribute to an under-appreciated First Lady. Lady Bird Johnson's love of wildflowers began with a lonely childhood in East Texas. The flowers were her only “companions.” After she married LBJ and went to Washington, she remembered “how beautiful flowers and trees had helped her thrive.” She determined to provide the joy and beauty of flowers to the entire country and set to work to beautify the then neglected highways of America through the Highway Beautification Act. Hein's richly colored folkloric-style illustrations are meticulously detailed, and reflect the delicacy and fragility of Lady Bird's beloved wildflowers, and promote the ecological theme. Interesting anecdotes and revealing quotations are sprinkled throughout the text bringing Lady Bird's personality to life. There is humor in the tiny gently caricatured faces of LBJ and Lady Bird at their wedding. Information about the National Wildlife Research Center founded by Lady Bird and an extensive bibliography are included. A wildflower “search” for young readers is an effective and fun way to acquaint children with the individual flowers. This excellent and informative book clearly portrays Lady Bird's efforts to raise the spirit of an entire nation. 2005, HarperCollins Publishers, $16.99 and $17.89. Ages 6 to 9.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 4))
This warmly attractive volume tells a graceful braid of stories: the life of Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of a president; the tale of a lonely child who found solace in the landscape and flora of east Texas; and the work of a First Lady who sought to bring beauty of the wilder sort into the highways of America. Lady Bird grew up in a rich and privileged household, but she lost her mother before she was six. She went to college-unusual for a woman in 1930-and there met and married Lyndon, following him on a political trajectory that led to Congress, the vice-presidency and then to president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. She filled Washington with more cherry trees and with the daffodils she had loved as a child and urged the passing of the Highway Beautification Act. Now, more than 30 years later, interstate highways are free of junkyards and an endless procession of signs; instead, the native wildflowers Lady Bird loves are growing everywhere. Hein's delicate pictures are in bright, clear colors and her flowers instantly recognizable in broad vistas and intimate close-ups. (author's notes, endnotes, bibliography including Web sites) 2005, HarperCollins, 40p, $16.99. Category: Picture book/biography. Ages 6 to 9. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Jewell Fine (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 18, No. 1))
This is a biography of Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of the late President Lyndon Johnson. Lady Bird grew up in the Piney Woods of East Texas. As a child, she always enjoyed the beauty of the wildflowers. She made herself a promise that she would some day share the beauty of the wildflowers with everyone. As the First Lady, she was instrumental in bringing the beauty of the wildflowers to America’s highways and cities. She was also instrumental in some of the legislation, signed by her husband President Johnson, which encouraged environmental conservation. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant with movement. The wildflowers and wildlife jump off the pages and make the reader feel as if he/she is standing in the middle of the wildflowers. Nonfiction (973.923 or biography). Grades 2 and up. 2005, HarperCollins, 37p., $17.89. Ages 7 up.