So You Want to be President?

St. George, J. (2000). So you want to be president?. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Caldecott Medal Winner, 2001

If the plot does not fit the traditional plot line, what plot line does the book illustrate?  Write a 5-6 sentence description of the book:

So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George does not follow a traditional plot line; instead, it highlights the various qualities one must have if he/she desires to be president one day.  The beginning of the book discusses the good and bad points of being a president, such as not having to eat vegetables, having your own movie theater in your house, and always having to dress up.  Several past presidents are mentioned throughout the book, and St. George uses them to show that it does not matter what one looks like, what kind of personality or temperament one has, whether or not one is a talented musician or athlete, etc. in order to be a president.  The most important qualities a president must have are being honest and caring enough.  At the end of the book, St. George tells the reader that the most successful presidents’ first priorities have always been the people and the country they served.

Picture books only (Was this a well illustrated book? Describe how it was or was not well-illustrated in 3 sentences.):  David Small, illustrator of So You Want to be President?, uses comical illustrations to show the various presidents throughout American history and their colorful personalities and attributes.  The illustrations contain caricatures which are very kid friendly.  Children are easily able to relate to St. George’s message by looking at Small’s humorous pictures and still get a chuckle out of them at the same time.