Module 3: So You Want to Be President

So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

So You Want to Be President is a collection of presidential trivia presented as a pseudo manual on how to increase your chances at becoming the next President of the United States.  The book begins by listing a few perks of the presidential office that kids will appreciate, such as a big White House (complete with swimming pool, bowling alley, and movie theater) and not having to eat your vegetables.  The book then continues with interesting facts and funny anecdotes about 42 of our previous presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton.  It touches on common presidential names, differences in size and appearance, quirky personalities, ages, backgrounds, abilities, previous occupations, and finally the extraordinary accomplishments that have helped to shape our country.  Each factual tidbit is illustrated with amusing caricatures crafted by David Small, earning So You Want to Be President a well-deserved Caldecott Medal.

APA Reference of Book:

St. George, J. (2000). So you want to be president. New York: Philomel Books.

 

Impressions:

I’m not a fan of presidential histories or biographies in general, but I found So You Want to Be President to be an entertaining and informative peek at the backgrounds and personalities of the various U.S. presidents.  Rather than stating dry facts, this book highlights similarities and differences among the presidents while including quotes, jokes, and anecdotes.  The president caricatures by David Small are priceless additions to this already noteworthy book; my favorites include Warren Harding as a beauty king and the four presidents named “William” in cheer-leading skirts, sporting pom-poms.  So You Want to Be President also features a helpful, quick reference listing of the previous 42 presidents.  I also appreciated that the book ended on a serious and uplifting note stating that whatever their strengths or foibles, each president’s “first priority has been the people and the country they served.”      

Professional Review:

Publishers Week

"This lighthearted, often humorous roundup of anecdotes ant trivia is cast as a handbook of helpful hints to aspiring presidential candidates.  St. George (Sacagawea: Crazy Horse) points out that it might boost your odds of being elected if your name is James (the moniker of six former presidents) or if your place of birth was a humble dwelling ("You probably weren't born in a log cabin. That's too bad. People are crazy about log-cabin Presidents. They elected eight").  She serves up diverse, occasionally tongue-in-cheek tidbits and spices the narrative with colorful quotes from her subjects.  For instance, she notes that "Warren Harding was a handsome man, but he was one of our worst Presidents" due to his corrupt administration, and backs it up with one of his own quotes.  "I am not fit for this office and never should have been here." Meanwhile, Small (The Gardener) show Harding crowned king of a "Presidential Beauty Contest"; all the other presidents applaud him (except for a grimacing Nixon). The comical, caricature artwork emphasizes some of the presidents' best known qualities and amplifies the playful tone of the text.  For an illustration of family histories, Small depicts eight diminutive siblings crawling over a patient young Georg Washington; for another featuring pre-presidential occupations, Harry Truman stands at the cash register of his men's shop while Andrew Johnson (a former tailor) make alterations on movie star Ronald Reagan's suit.  The many clever, quirky asides may well send readers off on a presidential fact-finding mission--and spark many a discussion of additional anecdotes.  A clear and engrossing approach to the men who have lead America.  Ages 7-up."  

Publishers Weekly. (2000, July 17). [Review of the book So you want to be president, by J. St. George]. Publishers Weekly, 247(29). Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/ 

Library Uses:

Elementary School Library

So You Want to Be President, can be read by the librarian in celebration of President’s Day in February.  Students can then be challenged to learn the presidents in order for a small prize.  Use the tunes in Animaniacs President Song or Ron Clark’s Presidents Rap to help students memorize the names of our previous presidents.   A possible art project would be to have students create Lincoln’s top hat. Each student would receive a paper plate painted black and an 8 x 8 piece of black construction paper. Then they would cut out the center of the paper plate, leaving a 2 inch rim and attach the black construction paper into the circle using tape.