Migrant Mother: How a Photograph Defined the Great Depression is the second title I've read in the "Captured History" series (after Little Rock Girl 1957), and I really can't say enough about this series. It's amazing! The photographs, of course, are stellar, but the text is just as compelling. Migrant Mother focuses on the photographs of Dorthea Lange, the Farm Security Administration photographer who took the title photograph, an almost-missed opportunity that would later become one of the most iconic pictures of the Great Depression. It starts out telling of the event from Lange's point of view, explaining how her spur of the moment decision to visit the pea picker's camp came about. Next, the author backs up a bit to explain the Great Depression itself, focusing especially on the plight of migrant workers, in both pictures and text in a way that is very accessible to young readers. The background of the "mother", Florence Thompson, is discussed (ironically, Lange never knew the identity of her subject. She died of cancer before Thompson's identity was revealed to the country at large.) Then the author takes us into a closeup of the six photos--their sequence, composition, and what Lange was probably trying to achieve with each. (An interesting sidebar discusses the "thumb contraversy"--apparently, for the final and most famous photo, Tompson felt the need to brace herself by grasping the tent pole in front of her as she rested her chin in her right hand. Consequently, the thumb of her left hand became visible in the foreground when the picture was developed. Lange's boss thought the thumb added to the composition, but Lange disagreed and had it airbrushed out. Now I've got to know--does the photo in my school textbook have the thumb, or no? I've got to head back to school and check it out.) The journey of Lange's photographs continues the story--their publication, the impact they had on both the public and the government (which sent 20,000 pounds of food to the camp; however, Thompson and her family had already moved on) and their continuing influence today, including the fact that the image was used on a U.S. postage stamp. Lange's career as a photographer is highlighted, and Thompson's later life is discussed. One of her daughters, Katherine, was also interviewed for the book--Katherine was one of four daughters also photographed by Lange. The book wraps up with a timeline showing the pertinent U.S. and world events as well as those in the lives of Thompson and Lange. Altogether this is a well-written, informative, and thought-provoking book that would be a great addition to any library. ( )

Telling the story behind an iconic photograph and discussing its historical importance is a cool idea, and this book is successfully concise and informative doing that. The suggestions for further reading and list of suggested web sites are disappointingly skimpy. ( )

Many Americans remember Dorothea Lange's iconic photograph of a Depression-era migrant mother gazing off into the distance, surrounded by her children. Nardo's text soulfully places this photograph at the center of an intriguing book that explores Lange's motivations for taking the photograph, the decades-later discovery of the subject's identify and her story, the influence of Lange's work on author John Steinbeck, the inspiration for his THE GRAPES OF WRATH, the historic context of the Depression, the Dust Bowl, and more. This fascinating interdisciplinary title, its historic photographs, and its compelling text gives a powerful new lens through which to see this period of American history. The book's layout features extensive white space punctuated by Lange's and other Depression-era photos, along with bold black and red header text, giving the book the feel of a high-end art book. Highly recommended. (95) ( )

I've always been curious about the Great Depression that took place in America primarily during the 1930's. This book examines the story behind the most famous photograph of the Great Depression.

I happily began this book this week.

I was somewhat disappointed. The book wavered between being a book targeting elementary readers and a book targeting junior high readers. I wish it had stuck to one or the other. And I wish there had been just a little more research into the life of this woman. Perhaps I was really hoping to read a grownup version of this book.