Parks for the People: How Frederick Law Olmsted Designed America

Most kids are lucky enough to live in an area where there are a few nice parks to play in, but they probably don’t think much about how those parks came to be. They aren’t just empty spaces in neighborhoods, but something that had to be planned and set aside for the good of the community. It wasn’t always that way. In the 1800s, a man named Frederick Law Olmsted dreamed of parks for everyone, not just private parks for the rich. He struggled for many years, eventually learning how to design and build great parks in big cities that are still centerpieces in those cities today, from Central Park in New York to the Capitol Building grounds in Washington, D.C.

Author Elizabeth Partridge has written an interesting account of Olmsted’s life and struggles that will fascinate and encourage young readers to follow their dreams. The writing is fine and the research is impeccable. She includes back-matter in the form of an extensive author’s note as well as a timeline of Olmsted’s life. The illustrations by Becca Stadtlander are beautifully rendered in a period-appropriate naive style that will transport young readers to the 19th century.