Political Power

Gr 9 Up—Four different artists present the lives of four United States presidents. The first three biographies give clear overviews of the careers of Obama, Reagan, and Clinton. The Obama story is one of the volume's highlights: the detailed painted illustrations are realistic and expressive, and the text is humorously irreverent. The narrator spends a day in present-day Springfield, IL, with Abraham Lincoln, discussing Obama's political ascent. Lincoln's reaction to a plate of horseshoes, a fried local delicacy, is that his "taste buds are being. . .emancipated or something!" The last selection, on George W. Bush, illustrates the text of his farewell speech with scenes from his administration. Though this is a clever way to depict this "controversial" president, readers requiring a straightforward introduction to his career should look elsewhere. The variety of art and writing styles should keep readers engaged, and the authors do not talk down to their audience, making references to people such as Abbie Hoffman and Mark Rothko, and plainly discussing Clinton's extramarital affairs.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY