WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S JOB?

Name: WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S JOB?
Author: Allison Singer
ISBN: 978-1-4654-5749-3

by Allison Singer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 3, 2017

A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President...

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A starter volume for newly independent readers curious about what presidents of the U.S. are supposed to do.

Singer presents both the basic responsibilities—meeting foreign leaders, working with Congress to pass laws, being in charge of the armed forces that “keep Americans safe”—and steady rounds of public appearances and speeches. She also lays out presidential qualifications (the Constitutional sort, anyway: “You must be at least 35 years old. No kids allowed!”), explains how election campaigns and voting work, and offers quick tours of Washington, D.C., and the White House. Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and a few other presidents from the distant past make cameos, but most of the big, bright photos feature Barack Obama and his immediate predecessors. A quiz and an invitation to presidential wannabes to answer the question “What would you do for the country?” close this presidential primer.

A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President (2000) or the newest edition of Eyewitness: Presidents (2017). (index, reading guide for parents) (Informational early reader. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4654-5749-3

Page Count: 48

Publisher: DK Publishing

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

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WORST OF FRIENDS

THOMAS JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS, AND THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FEUD

by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain & illustrated by Larry Day ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2011

A pleasingly lucid look at a complicated relationship, it should prove revelatory to an audience unaccustomed to such nuance.

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Though John Adams and Thomas Jefferson “...were as different as pickles and ice cream,” they were able to work together to fight for America’s independence—for a while.

In the late 1770s, they developed conflicting ideas about government and aligned with opposing political parties. When John Adams was elected as the second U.S. president, Jefferson was elected vice president. This exacerbated their rocky relationship, and when Jefferson was ultimately elected president over Adams, their friendship ended. Over a decade would pass before they spoke again. The team that created George Did It (2005) now brings to light both the trials and tribulations of these two notable leaders and the turbulence of early American politics. Energetic watercolor-and-pencil drawings accurately represent the late 18th century, showing the dress, style and architecture of the period. Feisty narration paired with amusing illustrations makes light of sticky situations, as when Jefferson physically restrains an angry Adams from assaulting King George and Adams moves himself out of the White House in the dead of night. Although quotations are not specifically sourced, the selected bibliography reveals a wealth of research, including several primary sources.

A pleasingly lucid look at a complicated relationship, it should prove revelatory to an audience unaccustomed to such nuance. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-525-47903-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

- BOOK REVIEW
NICE WORK, FRANKLIN!
by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain ; illustrated by Larry Day

- BOOK REVIEW
GEORGE DID IT
by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain & illustrated by Larry Day

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WILMA'S WAY HOME

THE LIFE OF WILMA MANKILLER

From the Big Words series

by Doreen Rappaport ; illustrated by Linda Kukuk ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 12, 2019

A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through...

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This latest in Rappaport’s Big Words series highlights Wilma Mankiller, the Cherokee girl who grows up to become “the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation.”

The opening text and accompanying illustration immediately place readers in “rural Oklahoma” on the Mankillers’ farm, where Wilma spends her early years in her “family of eleven.” Although poor in material wealth, the Mankillers are “rich in love and community,” and Wilma is raised with the understanding of Gadugi, the Cherokee “philosophy of helping each other.” When a new government policy relocates Wilma’s family into urban life in San Francisco, Wilma experiences the threat of acculturation. Yet despite that danger and other challenges during her early adult years, Wilma finds a new community at the Oakland Indian Center and creates opportunities to help other Native people until she finally returns to Oklahoma, where she goes on to accomplish her most memorable work. Rappaport has produced a thoroughly researched biography enhanced by Mankiller’s own words, and though it’s heavy with text, readers should find that Choctaw artist Kukuk’s detailed scratchboard and watercolor illustrations provide visual balance. The combined effect gives readers a sense of intimacy.

A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through a family photo album. (author’s note, illustrator’s note, important events, pronunciation guide, resources) (Picture book/biography. 6-8)