If I Were President

October 1, 1999
K-Gr 2-A simple explanation of the diverse duties of the president of the United States. Beginning with campaign speeches and posters, six children of varied racial backgrounds take turns posing as the president while providing information about the rewards and responsibilities of the position. Touching briefly on various topics including the White House, Congress, the creation of laws, the cabinet, veto power, Air Force One, and the Secret Service, Stier introduces the day-to-day activities of the commander in chief. Illustrations in acrylics, gouache, and pencil give the book a lighthearted look; pictures reveal such details as serving chocolate-chip cookies at a cabinet meeting, lighting the nation's Christmas tree, and pondering the possibility of being the fifth face carved into Mount Rushmore. Similar in content to Patricia Quiri's The Presidency (Children's, 1998), Stier's book offers concise information for a younger audience.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 1999
Gr. 1^-3, younger for reading aloud. This easy picture book provides a nice introduction to the presidency for primary-grade children. In short, simple sentences and mostly broad, nonspecific terms, it describes the job's diverse responsibilities: "If I were president, the people would be my boss, and I'd have to find out what they wanted." Although serious aspects of the job such as being commander-in-chief of the armed forces and creating laws with Congress are mentioned, Stier gives the most attention to lighter duties--tossing out the first pitch of the baseball season and lighting the nation's Christmas tree. DiSalvo-Ryan's illustrations complement the text nicely, depicting children of different races and genders as "presidents" carrying on the various duties of the office and enjoying such unusual perks as having a personal chef and a movie theater right at home. This is a rosy picture of a very stressful job, but youngsters will pick up some good general information, which teachers can use as a starting point in class and expand upon according to the age and ability of their students. ((Reviewed October 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)