E is for Election Day

Name: E is for Election Day
Author: Gloria M. Gavris
ISBN: 978-0-9962881-0-1

by Gloria M. Gavris & illustrated by Shawn McCann ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2015

Young politicians and political activists will find a great resource here, and future citizens from a number of backgrounds...

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Debut author Gavris and illustrator McCann (The Sick Bug Goes to School, 2010) team up in this alphabet book for older readers to introduce concepts of civic responsibility and political elections.

Beginning with “Aa is for American Elections,” Gavris and McCann introduce the idea of democracy and inform readers that their votes can help change laws and policies: “That is pretty powerful!” says the narrator. From ballots, conventions, and debates to the Internet and nomination papers, the book covers myriad topics directly and indirectly connected to governance. Sometimes, the author stretches the alphabet theme in order to convey important ideas; e.g., “Jj is for Judge for Yourself” seems a reach. “Xx is for eXit Polls,” however, is a sensible way to include a difficult letter with a relevant topic. “Zz is for Zig Zag,” when discussing how candidates “will be zigzagging through neighborhoods” to get votes, is an unlikely conclusion for the book. There’s plenty of great trivia here, like why the donkey and elephant became symbols for the major political parties and how Uncle Sam became an American icon, and adults as well as children may well learn something about the election process. The illustrations appropriately capture not only the diversity of American citizens, but the pomp of certain topics and the ridiculousness of others (voters who participated in the 2000 presidential election may groan at the memory of the hanging chad in “Rr is for Recount”). Despite the full-page, full-color illustrations, which show people of various ethnicities, abilities, and ages, this picture book may be too advanced for early readers. Also, the decision to organize the book alphabetically by topic (rather than as a step-by-step explanation of the election process) may confuse even older children. Still, the rich information creatively portrayed will captivate adventurous readers.

Young politicians and political activists will find a great resource here, and future citizens from a number of backgrounds will be glad to see themselves in the pictures.

Pub Date: June 5, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9962881-0-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Checkers Book Press

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

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ELEANOR

by Barbara Cooney & illustrated by Barbara Cooney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

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"From the beginning the baby was a disappointment to her mother," Cooney (The Story of Christmas, 1995, etc.) begins in this biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. She is a plain child, timid and serious; it is clear that only a few people loved her. After her parents die, she is cared for in the luxurious homes of wealthy relatives, but does not find acceptance until she arrives in a British boarding school, where she thrives on the attention of the headmistress, who guides, teaches, and inspires her. Cooney does not gloss over the girl's misery and disappointments; she also shows the rare happy times and sows the seeds of Eleanor's future work. The illustrations of house interiors often depict Eleanor as an isolated, lonely figure, her indistinct face and hollow eyes watching from a distance the human interactions she does not yet enjoy. Paintings reveal the action of a steamship collision; the hectic activity of a park full of children and their governesses; a night full of stars portending the girl's luminous future. The image of plain Eleanor being fitted with her first beautiful dress is an indelible one. Readers will be moved by the unfairness of her early life and rejoice when she finds her place in the world. An author's note supplies other relevant information. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-670-86159-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | CHILDREN'S HISTORY

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VOTE!

by Eileen Christelow & illustrated by Eileen Christelow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2003

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After the sorry example of the 2000 presidential election, it’s good to be reminded of the simple beauty—and hard-won right—of voting for a candidate. And Christelow goes farther in this primer on the process of electing a candidate. Simple language, gay color, and humorous subplots make for an appealing introduction to electoral politics, and she wisely complements her somewhat dry explanatory text with a typically funny word-bubble story of one woman’s mayoral campaign. Readers learn about political parties and polls, voter registration, to be wary of campaign advertising, the right to recounts, and are urged to conduct research into the candidates. There’s also a very handy timeline of voting rights that conveys the eye-opening evolution of democracy in the US. Impressively, Christelow gives to each individual vote a sense of importance—an act of participation that nestles in the heart of democracy. (Picture book. 5-8)