PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
St. George, Judith. 2000. SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT? Ill. by David Small. New York, NY: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399234071

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Rather than being a book with a climactic plot, SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT? goes through a list of past American presidents and some of their ordinary, often hilarious, traits. These zany, true characteristics cause the reader to believe that it is possible to lead our nation even if we hate eating broccoli or despise taking out the trash. Fat presidents, skinny presidents, tall presidents, handsome presidents are all treated equally in Judith St. George’s accounting of many well-known and not so well-known tidbits of information. A chronological list of U.S. presidents with a one-sentence summation of their tenure is included on the back page.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book appeals to readers young and old. It peaks the reader’s curiosity of what presidents are like as human beings. Young readers will relate to those presidents that had pets and to the antics of presidential children. Serious factual information is accompanied by somber illustrations of facial expressions, indicating some of the drawbacks of being president. This is an excellent choice for cross-curricular study of history, art, English, and vocational guidance classes.

David Small’s whimsical watercolor caricatures of U.S. Presidents bring St. George’s Each page has a backwash of muted color, preventing the figures from becoming too cartoonish. If you are unable to distinguish who each drawing represents, don’t worry. Small has included a guide to the illustrations with corresponding page numbers in the back of the book.
commentary to life.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This title will add spark to any study of this popular subject.”
THE HORN BOOK: “The conclusion . . . is positively inspiring.”
BOOKLIST: “Thoughtful composition and layout”

5. CONNECTIONS
*This book can be used with other “when I grow up” books:
McNoughton, Colin. WHEN I GROW UP. ISBN 9780763626754
Wells, Rosemary. WHEN I GROW UP. ISBN 0786807318
Kittinger, Jo S. WHEN I GROW UP. ISBN 0516236113

* Other United States history picture books can be utilized, and an activity of making an American flag can follow readings:
Taylor-Butler, Christine. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. ISBN 9780531126295
Murphy, Patricia J. ELECTION DAY. ISBN 0516226630