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Summary
Summary
New York Times bestselling author-illustrator and Caldecott Honor-winner Lane Smith offers an entertaining and empowering vision of a strong girl in power, perfect for election season and year-round!
"This funny romp delivers a hefty message for today's girls: The White House is yours for the taking," says Kirkus Reviews of Madam President. A confident little girl imagines what her day would be like if she ran the country: There would be executive orders to give, babies to kiss, tuna casseroles to veto, and so much more! Not to mention that recess would definitely require more security.
With deadpan wit and hilarious illustrations, best-selling picture book creator Lane Smith introduces readers to an unforgettable new character.
* "Blends message with medium for maximum delight... Hail to the chief!" --- School Library Journal , starred review
* "In this sly, witty recitation of a president's responsibilities, a ponytailed girl has the list down pat: give executive orders (to her cat); negotiate treaties (between said cat and dog); kiss babies: and veto, veto, veto." --- Booklist , starred review
"A must-have title that will unite both sides of the (lunchroom) aisle." --- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Lane Smith's unique take on the presidency (Hyperion, 2008) will have children giggling and adults grinning. Told in the first person in a child's voice, the story follows a young girl through a typical day, viewed through presidential lenses. The pony-tailed, pant-suited heroine goes to a state funeral (a pet burial), selects her cabinet from her toy cabinet (Mr. Potato Head is Secretary of Agriculture), kisses babies, and hands out small flags with zeal. She uses her veto power on the tuna casserole at the school cafeteria, and re-images her oral report as a news conference. She also exercises tact and diplomacy, works for world peace on a very local scale, and eventually has to deal with a disaster zone (her bedroom). This humorous look at presidential duties, reduced to kid-size, features Smith's illustrations which have been cleverly animated, with lots of white space. Bouncy patriotic music abounds. Our candidate even has her own words to "Hail to the Chief," and viewers can sing along. Following the story is an interview with the author who explains the story's evolution, gives insight into story details, provides some personal background information, and generally displays the sense of humor that radiates through his books. This high-quality production will be particularly useful as we head toward the presidential election in November.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Starred Review. Smith, who slyly recast U.S. history in John, Paul, George and Ben, introduces a zealous, freckled girl with presidential aspirations. Refreshingly, Katy skips the hand-wringing and never questions whether a girl could become commander-in-chief--instead, she behaves as if she is president already, fulfilling official duties at home and in school. Attired in a dark pantsuit, she brashly inserts herself in a Boy Scout photo op, attends a pet frog's state funeral and treats an oral report as a press conference: No comment. I'll get back to you on that. In mixed-media sequences with emphatic type, Smith mingles earnest words with visual jokes, such as the trail of small American flags Katy leaves in her wake. He depicts the heroine wielding the veto (the cafeteria's tuna casserole gets a nay) and, in florid script, crafts unofficial Hail to the Chief lyrics praising the most awesome one of all and her rad administration. At one point, Katy crows in capital letters, Why, the president is the most important person in the whole wide world! (Tiny lowercase letters add, And the most humble.) Smith gazes into the national future and just as ably skewers the pitfalls of political office. Ages 4-8. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A deadpan text outlines a president's extensive duties, while Madam--a ponytailed girl in a snappy pin-striped pantsuit--trips through an exhausting day, bestowing small American flags as she goes. Smith's illustrations combine cartoonish figures, mod interiors and stylized landscapes a-swirl with fall leaves. A whimsical double-page spread proclaiming "A president must choose a capable cabinet" pairs toys with their official titles: Mr. Potato Head is Secretary of Agriculture, for instance, and a winged unicorn is "Secretary of Fantasy." Such retro elements as a deck of Old Maid cards and a Ruth Buzzi button will tickle adults, as might a Duck Soup-derived reference to "[t]he ambassador of Freedonia." Children can squint at the spines of Madam Prez's library (which leans to American history) and spot scores of visuals signaling her obsession (presidential busts, a pet cat doubling as a Secret Service agent). Though the Oval Office here is no more than a messy bedroom, this funny romp lightly delivers a hefty message for today's girls: The White House is yours for the taking. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Whether the U.S. gets a woman president is still in doubt, but here a female narrator has already taken the role. In this sly, witty recitation of a president's responsibilities, a ponytailed girl has the list down pat: give executive orders (to her cat); negotiate treaties (between said cat and dog); kiss babies; and veto, veto, veto. There's no story, and the list of responsibilities does grow rather long. But the stretch can be forgiven because it provides more opportunity to enjoy Smith's amazing artwork. Madam President, with her boxy head and triangular body appears against a variety of backgrounds some plain white, others packed with interesting things with disparate uses of materials and images that often give the look of collage. Particularly amusing is the two-page spread showing rows of cabinet secretaries inside a cabinet (e.g., a piggy-bank Secretary of the Treasury, a Mr. Potato Head Secretary of the Agriculture). Kudos to Molly Leach, whose design makes everything from the lettering to end pages look fabulous. Although there's some winking at adults, this book is very much for kids, who might even come away having learned a bit about presidential duties.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist
