So You Want to be President by Judith St. George - a review

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
St. George, Judith. SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT. Ill. by David Small.
Rutherford, NY: Philomel. ISBN 0399243178

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this piece of non-fiction, Judith St. George gives readers spicy tidbits of zany facts from the lives of past American Presidents. The story operates under the premise of reviewing the different qualifications someone might need to become president and in the process the readers discovers that presidents have come in all different shapes and sizes and were from all walks of life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This piece of non-fiction is so engaging and full of anecdotal humor that it is hard to remember the subject matter--presidents, is often considering boring. St. George’s trivia is strengthened by quotes from the presidents themselves which lends an air of credibility to the historical book. She covers historical facts not often addressed in other presidential biographies, like the fact that William Howard Taft weighed over 300lbs and had a special tub built for his White House bathroom.

The illustrations in this book are so spot-on and comical that they won a Caldecott Medal! David Small’s caricatures are accurate enough that the presidents are immediately identifiable but also seem to capture the essence of their personalities in a perfect complement to St. George’s text. The presidents are brought to life as individuals apart from their responsibilities to the nation. The illustrations perfectly extend the text. In example, the woman and black man standing off to the side behind a black rope in a room crowded with presidents is an unobtrusive visual reminder of discrimination that can be glossed over or used as a launching pad to discuss it further.

This book is a surefire hit that will inspire young readers to learn more about past presidents.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
2001 Caldecott Medal Winner
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year “This title will add spark to any study of this popular subject”
Starred Review in BOOKLIST “The light tone of the book makes it possible for readers to absorb a great deal of information, some of it silly, but underlying the treatment is a sense of the significance and dignity of the office and the faith that children still aspire to be president.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*A perfect book to launch a theme on presidents
School Specialty Publishing. THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PRESIDENTS AND STATES. ISBN 1561895474