Our Flag Was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner - Hardcover

by Jessie Hartland (Author), Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)

A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

"So much to like about this, including the folk art-style artwork with childlike appeal, the emphasis on the women who constructed the flag, and the important ways a symbol can influence a country for generations." --Booklist (starred review)

From beloved author-illustrator Jessie Hartland comes a whimsical nonfiction picture book that tells the story of the American flag that inspired the poem and our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

If you go to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, you can see a massive American flag: thirty feet tall and forty-two feet long. That's huge But how did it get there? And where did it come from? Well...

The story of this giant flag begins in 1812 and stars a major on the eve of battle, a seamstress and her mighty helpers, and a poet named Francis Scott Key. This isn't just the story of one flag. It's the story of "The Star Spangled-Banner," a poem that became our national anthem, too.

Dynamically told and stunningly illustrated, Jessie Hartland brings this fascinating and true story to life.

Author Biography

Jessie Hartland is the author and illustrator many nonfiction titles for young readers, including Our Flag Was Still There, which was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. The New York Times praised her "joyful folk-art illustrations" in Harlem Grown, written by Tony Hillery. She has painted murals at a Japanese amusement park, designed Christmas windows for Bloomingdale's, and put her mark on ceramics, watches, and all sorts of other things. She has done drawings for many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Travel and Leisure Family Club, Martha Stewart Kids, and Bon Appétit. She lives in New York City. Visit her at JessieHartland.com.