By Sabrina Novacov
Author Jane Hampton Cook has made it her mission to spark a love of country in the next generation. Through her patriotic children’s books, including My American Flag, Jane brings America’s history and symbols to life for children in engaging, relatable ways. We sat down with Jane to talk about her passion for writing patriotic books, the inspiration behind her stories, and why instilling unity and gratitude is vital as we approach America’s 250th anniversary.
Q: What drove your passion to writing patriotic books for children
A: Several reasons drove my passion for writing patriotic children's books. There’s a category of books on Amazon that is based on reading level. These paperback books feature a number in the cover's top right-hand corner. A number one indicates the book is for preschoolers to first graders, while a two is for second graders and so on. I was disappointed that within this step-by-step reading genre, there were no books about the U.S. flag. On top of that, America celebrates the nation's 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. For all these reasons, I concluded that children need books that inspire them and their generation to love America. Hence, I launched Revolutionary Readers for America's 250th as a brand featuring patriotic books in the step-by-step reading style.
Q: Your book, My American Flag, teaches little readers about America’s Stars and Stripes. How did you decide the best way to tell the flag’s story in a way children could connect with?
A: When my youngest son was three years old, my dad taught him to look for American flags as we drove. With eager eyes, my son would suddenly and excitingly shout out "look red, white and blue" when he saw a flag. This memory gave me the idea of showing young readers that the American flag is all around, in our homes, at our schools and in our town. My American Flag gives children the basics about the flag, including identifying the colors of the flag and the fact that the flag's 50 stars represent the 50 states. It uses rhyme and short sentences for young children.
Q: What lessons do you hope children take away after reading your book?
A: I want My American Flag to feel personal to children, which is why I included a variety of children representing different ethnicities in the book's artwork. I wanted children to be able to see themselves in the book somewhere. That's also why I included a variety of geographical features, from mountains to beaches and forests to deserts. I wanted to children to see familiar geographical features from their states, such as palm trees or pine trees. In the series, I also included churches and the Star of David to show America's spiritual side. My American Flag gives children a sense of ownership, that they are a part of their nation.
Q: What values and/or lessons do you believe the American flag represents that are important for the next generation to understand?
A: We typically and understandably think of the U.S. flag as a symbol of freedom. But before it could be a symbol of freedom, it had to first be a symbol of union or unity. When the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag on June 14, 1777, they described it as a symbol of unity through the union of 13 red and white stripes and 13 stars representing the 13 original states. Before there could be freedom, there had to be unity. The original states needed each other to defeat the British army. Though today's culture treats them as homogeneous, the founders saw themselves as very diverse because there were a variety of denominations of Christianity as well as Judaism. In their eyes, each state was like its own country.
Q: Do you have a favorite story about someone in history who showed deep respect for the flag?
A: Francis Scott Key comes to mind as someone who had deep respect for the U.S. flag. Key was an attorney who lived in Georgetown near Washington DC in the early 1800s. Key turned his raw emotions of jubilation into lyrics for the song, The Star-Spangled Banner. A popular newspaper published the lyrics and the name of the familiar tune, To Anacreon in Heaven. Soon newspapers around the country published the lyrics and Key's story. The song became an instant hit and was used for celebrations that took place after the war, which ended in late 1814. Throughout the 1800s, the song was performed for important occasions and became the U.S. military's anthem. In 1931, Congress adopted The Star-Spangled Banner as the official anthem of the United States, thanks to Key's love of the flag.
Q: What projects are next in store for you? Is there a new book you are currently writing?
A: I am working on turning two of my books into patriotic narrative films. One is feature-length film about the burning of the White House called White House Phoenix. The other is a TV series called American Phoenix, about John Quincy and Louisa Adams as they made tremendous sacrifices to save American Independence through diplomacy. White House Phoenix is about the domestic side of the War of 1812 and American Phoenix is about the international side of the war of 1812. These are both comeback stories.
I am also finalizing a keepsake book for America's 250th anniversary called A Great and Grateful Nation: From Grievance to Gratitude. We would not have become a great nation if Americans had not been grateful along the way. I show many instances of Americans giving thanks to God, starting with the American Revolution. For example, George Washington used the word Thanksgiving for the first time in his writings in the fall of 1775. He asked his army to observe this local tradition in Boston, which was a day set aside for giving thanks and celebrating the fall harvest. The book features short engaging essays that chronicle the American Revolution combined with traditional favorite paintings and new renderings that bring to life the story of America's founding through the theme of giving thanks. I want Americans to have a quick, digestible, and beautiful way of rediscovering the American Revolution.
Bio: Jane Hampton Cook’s passion is igniting patriotism and making American history relevant to modern life, faith, family, news, current events, and politics. She is an award-winning screenwriter and author of 20 books, including War of Lies: When George Washington Was the Target and Propaganda Was the Crime and Stories of Faith & Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane has written books and recorded videos about the American Revolution for America’s 250th anniversary. She has written award-winning screenplay adaptations for two of her books. WHITE HOUSE PHOENIX (SAVING WASHINGTON) placed third in ScreenCraft’s 2018 drama screenwriting competition and AMERICAN PHOENIX was a top ten winner in ISA’s Emerging Screenwriters contest in 2020.
Website: https://janecook.com/
Instagram: @janehamptoncook
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