US Presidents

Each of the "Oval Office All-Stars" steps up for a brief say in Basher's newest cartoon gallery--a rare break from his usual STEM topics (Technology: A Byte-Sized World!, 2012, etc.). Sounding downright cheeky ("I was one wise sucker, I can assure you," smirks Thomas Jefferson), each president from Washington to Obama delivers a two-paragraph thumbnail summary of his administration's highlights and, often, lowlights, sandwiched between trios of bulleted "firsts" or trivia. Despite differences in hairstyles, the egg-headed caricatures on each facing page look pretty much alike (Obama excepted), but Basher does add distinguishing dress or other small items, from broken shackles at Lincoln's feet to Calvin Coolidge's pet raccoon. A complete set of postage-stamp-sized official portraits brings up the rear. Green is sometimes loose with his facts--the president is not the "head of the federal government," nor was the system of checks and balances created because presidents "sometimes do stupid things, have crazy ideas, and generally fumble their way through"--and uses an opaque metaphor in characterizing Nixon as "a shifty operator who liked to sail close to the wind" (did he mean "played his cards close to his chest" maybe?). These quibbles aside, the real issue here is that, aside from some of the trivia, all the information is so easily available elsewhere. Like Hanoch Piven's What Presidents Are Made Of (2004), more a quick novelty than a reliable source of information or enlightenment. (foldout poster) (Collective biography. 10-13) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 15, 2013
Grades 4-7 Having previously covered several branches of science, Basher joins with coauthor Green to take on U.S. history in the former's unique, irreverent style. Profiles of the 44 Oval Office All-Stars each include a list of six facts, a two-paragraph first-person narrative, and a cartoon illustration with accompanying accoutrement that gives a clue to the president's story (the odder the better) and what he achieved. Readers might already know a lot of this, but Basher and Green serve it up in a hip, imaginative style and throw in some lesser-known facts, too. For example, James Monroe brought groovy vibes to the nation, and who knew that Jimmy Carter reported seeing a UFO? As usual, Basher's illustrations look like the same little round-headed doll accented with various facial hair, hairstyles, and period attire. (A portrait gallery with a painting or photograph does provide a faithful likeness of each.) Another fun entry, and a detachable poster is included.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)