America The Beautiful

http://www.renaud-bray.com

http://www.renaud-bray.com

Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with richly evocative paintings to celebrate the iconic imagery of America. Each spread shows a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island, to the great plains, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. With illustrations paired to each line of the well-known song, and that celebrate America's history, landscape, and people in powerful, stirring and reflective illustration. Non-fiction spreads at the end of the book will explain this history and significance of the song, and why we sing it today as well as more information on some of the places shown in the artwork.O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!America! America!God shed His grace on theeAnd crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea!O beautiful for pilgrim feet,Whose stern, impassioned stressA thoroughfare for freedom beatAcross the wilderness!America! America!God mend thine every flaw,Confirm thy soul in self-control,Thy liberty in law!O beautiful for heroes provedIn liberating strife,Who more than self their country lovedAnd mercy more than life!America! America!May God thy gold refine,Till all success be nobleness,And every gain divine!O beautiful for patriot dreamThat sees beyond the yearsThine alabaster cities gleamUndimmed by human tears!America! America!God shed His grace on theeAnd crown thy good with brotherhoodFrom sea to shining sea!