Module 3: So You Want to Be President?

So you Want to Be President? by Judith St. George

 

Summary: A book for people who always wanted to be President, or at least just learn about the pros and cons and  traits of past presidents.  This fun introduction to presidents gives interesting facts about what our past presidents have been like, including the most common president names, the size and shape of some presidents, past pets that lived in the white house, and many other interesting facts about former presidents.   

APA Reference: St, G. J., & Small, D. (2004). So you want to be president? New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Impressions: The cartoon like illustrations in this book are amusing, and do as much of the story telling as do the words.  When showing the biggest president, William Howard Taft, a crane is depicted lowering the president into an extra large bathtub.  You can really picture the pets in the White House when a horse, which was brought up on an elevator, is shown by a child's bed.  The presidents are really brought to life as they drive cars on the floor, play instruments, dance, and go flying off a bucking horse.  The final message of the book about how not all president's are greedy or want power, but how some really want to serve their country and make a difference in the world is one which allows for some great discussion on what it means to be a real leader.    

Professional Review:
Gr 4-8-Curious tidbits of personal information and national history combine with humorously drawn caricatures to give this tongue-in-cheek picture book a quirky appeal. "There are good things about being President and there are bad things about being President" So begins a walk through a brief history of facts, successes, oddities, and mishaps. For example, most readers won't know that William Howard Taft weighed over 300 pounds and ordered a specially made bathtub. Small's drawing of a naked Taft being lowered into a water-filled tub by means of a crane should help them remember. Another spread depicts a men's shop where Andrew Johnson (a tailor) fits Ronald Reagan (an actor) for a suit while Harry Truman (a haberdasher) stands behind the counter. While the text exposes the human side of the individuals, the office of the presidency is ultimately treated with respect and dignity. A list of presidents with terms of office, birthplace, date of birth and death, and a one-sentence summary of their accomplishments is provided. This title will add spark to any study of this popular subject.

Eames, A. (2000, August). [Review of the book So you want to be president?, by G. J. St, and D. Small]. School library journal, 46, 206-7. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/  

Library Uses:  During February have a President's Day program geared to after school age kids with a "Presidents" theme.  Read excerpts of So You Want to Be President?, followed by activity stations that go along with some of the presidents.  Let the kids bowl in honor of the president's bowling alley. See which kids have famous president's names.  Build Tootsie Roll log cabins in honor of the president's who were born in them.  Talk about what we can do to serve our country.  This would also be a good program to introduce some of the "Who was. . . " biography books about past presidents.