HARD WORK, BUT IT'S WORTH IT

An outline of President Jimmy Carter’s life—peanut farmer, president, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

As a child growing up during the Depression on a farm in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter “knew more people of color than most white boys his age.” In fact, an African American boy named Alonzo “A.D.” Davis was Jimmy’s best friend until they got older and the ways of segregation altered their relationship. Hegedus focuses on segregation as a key element in Carter’s life, and Han’s muted, fine-lined illustrations complement and extend the text, effectively evoking segregated lunch counters, movie theaters, school buses, and schools. As a young man, Carter’s response to the injustice he witnessed was to create a set of “Good Mental Habits” to live by; even though they are included in an illustration, these aren’t adequately explained. As he became politically active and progressed from local school board to the Georgia state Senate, from governor to president, Carter began to act against injustice. Though it is not made clear what he did to work for change in U.S. race relations, he is shown working on the Camp David Accords, trying to bring home hostages from Iran, and building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

An affectionate, admiring tribute to our 39th president.