Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, and illustrated by Betsy Lewin, was incredibly popular around election season (check outs were usually accompanied by clever parents commenting that the duck seemed like a good candidate), but it’s a great story for any time of the year. Duck lives on Farmer’s Brown’s farm. He and the other animals all have chores, but Duck doesn’t like chores, so he decides to hold an election, which he subsequently wins. But running the farm is hard work, so he begins his campaign for governor. Soon Duck is head of the state, but this job too is extremely difficult. So Duck pulls out all the stops and runs for President (eventually retiring to write his memoirs). Duck for President is one of my favorite books! It’s a kid-friendly commentary on politics that hopefully everyone can enjoy.
Jobs
The Library Doors
Toni Buzzeo offers us The Library Doors, a playful media-centric reinterpretation of the popular children’s sing-along chant, “The Wheels on the Bus” with the help of illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott. Join some elementary school students on a trip to their library. There’s a lot of fun things to do there, but you have to be quiet! You can go to story time, look up books in the catalog, browse the shelves for things you like, and of course read read read! There’s also computers to help you do your homework or find information you’re interested in. When you go to check your books out, be sure to wave goodbye to the librarian, and let her know you’ll be sure to come back “all through the year!” This is a fun book to recite with your child, or if you’re feeling up to it, sing! You know you know the tune…
Polar Bear Puzzle
Polar Bear Puzzle is part of the Adventures of Riley series by Amanda Lumry and Laura Hurwitz, endorsed by the Smithsonian Institute and the World Wildlife Fund. This series is really creative in that it mixes photographs with drawn illustrations, and stories with non fiction facts. For instance in Polar Bear Puzzle Riley goes to visit his biologist uncle Max in Churchill Canada, Polar Bear Capital of the world. Due to climate change, Uncle Max must tag and transfer bears to colder parts of the country, and Riley gets to help! On the way they meet several other arctic animals, and even see the northern lights. This is a very cool book with tons of timely information.
And Tango Makes Three
You may have already heard about And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. It was the most challenged book of 2008. If you’re at all curious to see what the fuss was about, I highly recommend you check it out, because beneath all the controversy this is a story for children about an unconventional family of penguins. Roy and Silo were two real male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who played surrogate fathers to an egg, helping to bring little Tango into the world, and you can still visit them all today in New York City! Heartwarming illustrations provided by Henry Cole.
Abe’s Honest Words
There’s probably no historical figure I find more admirable than Abraham Lincoln. That explains why I love Abe’s Honest Words by Doreen Rappaport, featuring illustrations by the fabulous Kadir Nelson. This is a lovely juvenile biography of our sixteenth president, who had the unenviable job of leading our country through, and out, of the Civil War. Rappaport treats us to Lincoln’s life story–his upbringing after the death of his mother, his love for reading and writing, his election and presidency, to his tragic assasination–insterspliced with his own words. The book is a touching tribute to the man who wrote “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel.”
Fartiste
Fartiste by wife and husband authors Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, and illustrator Boris Kulikov, relates the true and intriguing tale of French artist, Joseph Pujol, who, at the height of his popularity, performed at the Moulin Rouge, to audiences of royal stature, pulling in tens of thousands of francs a night. And what was his talent, you might ask? Well, at age eight Joe discovered he had the ability to pass gas on command with no smell! He grew up to be a baker, but to help support his wife and ten children he began farting on street corners, then filling concert halls, eventually becoming the toast of gay Paris, and the rest is history!