NONFICTION

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden

by Jill Biden with Kathleen Krull Biden (text) & illus. by Amy June Bates
S. & S./Paula Wiseman Bks. Aug. 2020. 48p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781534480537.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3–This biographical picture book, penned by the subject’s wife with assistance from Krull, chronicles 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s evolution from a risk-taking youngster who overcame stuttering (by reading out loud daily) to the man who would later become vice president to Barack Obama. In addition to providing facts about Biden’s life story, the text emphasizes the qualities (peacemaker, family man, researcher, and thinker) that demonstrate the leadership capacity associated with elected officials. Bates’s illustrations, complemented by a rustic palette of sepia tones, evoke the yesteryear of Biden’s childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.
VERDICT Although the book reads like campaign literature, young readers are likely to find inspiration and aspiration in young Joey as a relatable, athletic, and tenacious kid who grew into a civic leader. Recommended for public and school libraries.
Reviewed by Tamela Chambers, Chicago P.L , Aug 01, 2020

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