Great, fascinating, lighthearted fun.
A highly entertaining catalog of presidential pets and other White House animals.
An apocryphal remark by Harry S. Truman observes, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Why? Because, “As the president you are in charge of the WHOLE of the United States of America,” and “Citizens might not agree with your opinions, ideas, or political party.” While there have been over 100 dogs belonging to presidents and their families, an astonishing variety of other animals have been quartered at the White House. Both Calvin Coolidge’s wife, Grace, and Theodore Roosevelt’s family had quite a few. The names of members of presidential menageries are entertaining, from Boston Beans Coolidge (dog) to Misty Malarky Ying Yang Carter (cat) to Mooly Wooly Taft (cow) to Emily Spinach Roosevelt (snake). Andrew Jackson’s foulmouthed parrot makes an appearance along with the tigers given to Martin Van Buren (they were confiscated and given to a zoo). A gift of elephants to James Buchanan never arrived, but both John Quincy Adams and Herbert Hoover supposedly had alligators. The dozens of expressive, brightly colored, shaggy, scaly, toothy creatures in McGill’s charming cartoon illustrations seem to radiate good humor and cheerfulness. Backmatter names the pets belonging to every president (only James K. Polk and Donald Trump had no animals at all) and offers additional facts. Endpapers feature black-and-white photos of animals belonging to eight former commanders in chief.
Great, fascinating, lighthearted fun. (additional facts, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 3-9)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-12269-3
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A surprisingly successful and enlightening combination strengthened by striking artwork.
The lives and legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank are drawn in parallel in this visually appealing picture book.
Born in the same year on different continents, Martin and Anne both faced discrimination from the time they were school aged. Peers who were former friends fell in line with laws and policies made by privileged groups of which they were not a part. “Whites only” signs and “No Jews allowed” signs; a speech competition and a diary; beginning college at 15 and learning about Ghandi, and writing about dreams for a better world—these experiences are illustrated in matching form on opposite sides of each spread. Martin grows up to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and his assassination at age 39 cannot silence his message; Anne’s life comes to an end at 15, but her legacy lives on when her diary is published and becomes a bestseller. While the ending is trite (“Love is stronger than hate. / Kindness can heal the world”), the journey through their lives and the effect of coupling their lasting impact are powerful. The art emphasizes the message of parallel experiences and changing worlds. With natural tones of green and brown and stylized faces and forms, the images don’t fall back on King’s iconic look, creating instead a fresh tapestry of landscapes and humanity.
A surprisingly successful and enlightening combination strengthened by striking artwork. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-939547-53-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serviceable.
An animal book focusing on big brothers offers reflection questions for older siblings to ponder.
A human big brother and his younger sibling, both presenting White, leaf through a book (readers will note it is the book they are holding) to learn about big brothers of other species. Several animals, including naked mole rats, hoary marmots, and beavers, are presented in successive double-page spreads. One to three sentences of information appear on verso, with one question for readers on recto. Some of the questions are open-ended, asking kids to consider how big brothers help younger siblings stay safe. Other queries are straightforward, asking about eating preferences and favorite games after sharing facts about the crow and kangaroo, respectively. While the title speaks to brothers, presumably older siblings of any gender would revel in answering. Illustrations present each animal family like paper dolls. The vibrantly colored animals have slightly anthropomorphic eyes and lie flat on the landscape of their natural environment. While this style doesn’t necessarily command attention, it presents images cleanly. The predictable rhythm and simple visuals are soothing and allow for focus on the discussion questions posed in each spread. Racial diversity is present in an ensemble spread of human sibling pairs. However, each one of these shares exact skin tone and hair texture between the two, homogenizing their seen identities.
Serviceable. (glossary, charts, facts) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64351-822-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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