Purple Mountain Majesty by Barbara Younger; 1998. Hardcover. (Ch-NF)

Colorful, lively, and carefully researched, here is a picture book about the trip west that a young Wellesley professor took, which resulted in an expression of hope for America's spiritual life that has stirred citizens of all ages ever since. In l893, when she was thirty-four, Katharine Lee Bates was invited to teach summer school in Colorado Springs. Crossing the country, and exploring the Rockies, she was forcefully moved by a realization of the nation's great physical blessings. Most glorious scenery I ever beheld, she wrote after a journey to the top of Pikes Peak. Later that day, she composed four stanzas of verse that eventually became the words of America the Beautiful. Capturing the essence of Katharine's imagination, idealism, and humor, Barbara Younger's graceful text provides an intriguing glimpse of American history and women's history. Stacey Schuett's expansive, heartfelt illustrations, glowing with color, bring readers close to canyon and sky, prairie and mountain.