So You Want to Be President?

Political times are here! Campaign promises are in the air. Do these two candidates--Barack Obama and John McCain have the "right stuff?" Let's check them out against previous presidents. "So You Want to Be President" is filled with all kinds of facts about all previous 42 presidents. Oh, I heard you--you're right, there have been 43 presidents. This book, written by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small and published in 2000 just before the election, contains all kinds of facts about the men who have been president. If you are a blood relative of a president, your chances go up to become a president. Father and son twice, grandfather/grandson, fifth cousins, and second cousins. You don't have to be handsome to be president--Lincoln wasn't and he certainly stands the test of time. Harding was handsome and he is rated one of the worst presidents. And there's Bill Clinton... Nine presidents played instruments; nine did not go to college. Jefferson was "top-notch in the brains department." Ten presidents were generals in the military. Almost any job can lead to the White House, including tailor and actor. If you are dishonest, you get kicked out. This book was awarded the Caldecott Gold Medal in 2001 for best children's literature to be published the previous year. The illustrations are humorous and serious, always eye-catching and complementary to the script. The text is equally entertaining and educational. This book will be a classic because it is historical and accurate. A delightful journey through American history, particularly the presidents, makes this a welcome addition to any library collection.

Does your child ever say they want to be president some day? Or maybe they have started to study our past leaders in school but show no interest in learning about a bunch of dead guys? In either case, and many others, the book So You Want to Be President written by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small may be just what is needed to pique your child's curiosity.This brightly colored book gives all kinds of interesting and odd facts about all of our past presidents. It does not try to explain all of the complex duties the office entails so it is not beyond a child's range of understanding. And though the reading level is more for a youth of 5th grade or higher, the intriguing tidbits make for an interesting read for adults as well. So You Want to Be President offers such details as "The president does not have to eat yucky vegetables...George Bush grew up, he became President. That was the end of broccoli," which appeals to almost every child's dislike of green nasty things and makes a connection for them with the an adult who held the highest station in our country. Other bits like the fact that Truman owned a men's shop, Andrew Johnson was a tailor and Reagan was an actor relays the idea that anyone can become President, no matter their beginnings. Yet another page of the book makes sure that the reader knows that one of the most important virtues needed to be the leader of the free world is honesty. St. George sights the impeachment of Clinton and the resignation of Nixon as examples. She states them as facts without the controversial sides that accompanied the issues.In the last pages of the book, St. George lists each president and by what their term is most remembered. This gives a little more history than just the fun facts earlier in on. To go along with this, the illustrations are all charactures of each of the presidents. Each picture ties in with its text in a fun and attention drawing way. Because of this, even a child being read to because they are not at the reading level required can participate in the fun and learn something as well. This book is a humorous look at presidents from the past including odd little details like which ones played instruments, who lived in log cabins, and who was the biggest, smallest, tallest, or shortest ever in office. It mixes education with fun by using true charactures in its bright illustrations finishing with explanations of each and every president. It is an excellent book to add to your child's shelf.

This book provides the most fun view of the past presidents that it has been my pleasure to read. Around age 3, most children begin to think about what they want to do "when I grow up." Speculation often centers around visible careers like being a mommy, teacher, nurse, fireman, doctor or gas station attendant (at least in our family). So You Want to Be President brilliantly captures that young child's perspective by looking at the pros (you have a house to live in, the White House, and some pretty neat sports alternatives) and cons (it's hard and difficult work), and goes on to point out that people from many backgrounds with different skills (from soldiers to store clerks) have become president. The result is to make the idea of becoming president more interesting and accessible. Who knows? This book may even inspire your child to become a great president (of some volunteer organization, if not of the United States). Wouldn't that be wonderful!The presidents are taken off of their monumental marble thrones, and presented here as real people. There is humor. Lincoln denied he was two-faced because that would be a mistake in light of the face he had (he was not the most attractive fellow). There is honesty. Clinton and Nixon lied and suffered for it. There is trivia. How many presidents had their clothes stolen by female reporters while skinny dipping? There is religious information. All of the presidents have been Protestants or Catholics. You get statistics on how many vice presidents have made it to the top job, and how. Unless you are a trivia expert on the presidency, at least some of this will be new to you. All of it will be new, and most of it interesting, to your child.The book ends with some very good advice (no matter what profession or occupation you pursue). "If you want to be President -- a good President -- pattern yourself after the best." "Most of all, their first priority has always been the people and the country they served." Can you think of any set of better standards for leadership?Caldecott Award winners are selected for their illustrations. You will find David Small's work here as rewarding as Judith St. George's text. He makes brilliant use of variable thickness ink for distinctive, impressionistic outlines of people and objects. The outlines strengthen and define warm watercolor splashes and washes. The result is the sort of feeling provided by illustrations I have seen from the 18th century, when our country was founded. Yet the facial expressions and bodies are friendly caricatures that humanize their subjects. I really felt for John Quincy Adams stuck in that river while the reporter ran off with his clothes. There's also a sprightliness reminiscent of the way Disney draws Jiminy Cricket. Here are three trivia questions that will give you a sense of the book:1. Who was Harry Truman's vice president?2. What favorite story did he tell about becoming vice president?3. What musical instru

Although this book is "rated" for grades 3-5, it's my kindergarten-aged child who loves it most. The book is an entertaining and informative intro to the variety of men who have served in the presidency. Small's illustrations are fun and imaginative, yet accurate enough that each president is easily recognizable. The major presidents are highlighted. We really like the chronological index at the end which, in two or three sentences, summarizes each man's presidential contributions. Emily chose this before it won its award, but it was already a winner in our house!

Did you know that six of our presidents were named James and four were named William? Or that James Madison was our smallest president at only five feet four inches, Abe Lincoln our tallest at six feet four inches and William Howard Taft weighed more than three hundred pounds? Did you know that most presidents went to college, but nine didn't and they included George Washington and Harry Truman. Presidents have come from all walks of life, had lots of different interests and hobbies and have found their way to the most powerful office in the world, in a variety of ways. Judith St. George has taken the stuffiness out of presidential history and written a very clever, witty book full of funny anecdotes and interesting facts. Her easy to read and enjoyable text is complimented by David Small's expressive and imaginative political cartoon-like illustrations. Together they take the some of the mystery out of the presidency and let future aspirants know that anyone can grow up to be president. This is a terrific book for 8-12 year olds, chock full of information and includes an appendix with dates and important contributions for each of our 41 presidents.