So You Want to Be President?

So You Want to be President? ISBN 0-399-23047-1. Judith St. George. David Small. 2000. Caldecott Medal. Ages 7 +. American. Historical Nonfiction.

So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George with illustrations by David Small, takes a look back at many common traits among our past American presidents. This is done in a fun, but educational manner. St. George makes recommendations to the reader about what they should do if they want to be president while including valuable information. She mentions how many presidents shared the name James, how many were born in log cabins, which of them were dishonest, and which were military heros, among many other trivial facts. In the back of the book, information is given on each president including when they were born, where they were born, and what they are known for.

The drawings of the presidents in this book are done in a caricature-like manner. Each page has a fun depiction of at least one president that coincides with the literature. This would be a great book to read in February, to commemorate President's Day. Any child would find this interesting, and maybe find something that they have in common with one of our past presidents.