Picture Book Review: Woodrow for President

Today, I’m hosting a stop on the TLC blog tour for the picture book Woodrow for President: A Tail of Voting, Campaigns, and Elections by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes. This picture book written for elementary grade children explains the electorate process of choosing a president in the United States through the “tail” of a mouse named Woodrow. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist making a pun. The book sort of made me do it.)

Quick Summary of Woodrow for President:

In Woodrow for President, Woodrow grows up learning that by working hard and eating his veggies the sky is the limit to his future success. As an adult, his concern for his community soon translates into a career into politics, culminating with a bid for the presidency. Using Woodrow’s story, this picture book then explains the entire process of electing Woodrow, from the work entailed in placing a candidate on a state primary ballot to the Inaugural Ball held to honor the new President.

Quick Facts:

author/illustrator team Peter and Cindy Barnes

Author: Peter W. Barnes
Illustrator: Cheryl Shaw Barnes (husband/wife team)
Ages: Listed as 5 and up. (I would personally list it a little higher, maybe six and up. This book was too long for my four-year old who typically listens to books on a higher age level.)
Pages: 32 pages (last couple of pages are a resource for parents)
Text Density: high (approximately 6 stanzas of verse per page)
Published: 2012
Publisher: Little Patriot Press

Sample Quote:

“The state of Mouse Hampshire, a wonderful place,
Is home to the very first primary race . . . “

My Opinion on Woodrow for President:

Hmmm, I’m sort of divided on Woodrow for President: A Tail of Voting, Campaigns, and Elections. This patriotic picture book has a number of strengths but also some corresponding weaknesses:

The entire book is written in AABB quatrain (with the exception of the appendix), no small feat for covering the entire electoral process. Many of the rhymes are even a bit complicated, with multiple syllable words ending sentences. Unfortunately, the poem’s form does seem to dictate the content in parts with awkward sentences and use of words that force unnatural pronunciations by making a reader reading aloud want to rhyme words that don’t truly rhyme (example: “care” and “mayor”).
The picture book is full of a number of word plays and puns that at times are clever and add to the mouse theme (such as the “Bull Mouse” party), but at other times seem cliched or overboard (ex. Woodrow is elected to be the “Big Cheese”).
Cheryl Barnes’ illustrations are full of colorful details that children will enjoy pouring over. Each page also features a hidden Secret Service mouse for kids to look for. (I know my child loves this sort of thing.) At the same time, the small details might make this book not an ideal choice for a teacher to read aloud to a class. Also, the illustrations excel in the small objects and places that they depict but seem a bit unpolished in the depictions of the mice.
I think the greatest strength of this book is how well the Barnes explained the electoral process. Woodrow for President is easy enough for a small child to understand and contains enough facts that even an adult might be surprised to learn a fact or two.
I also liked the emphasis on hard work and community service being the first steps to serving in political office.

**So, would I recommend Woodrow for President?**

I think it would depend on what you are looking for in a picture book. Pickier readers may find that the weaknesses detract from their overall enjoyment of the book But, if you just want to find a fun book to help your children understand the elections this November, Woodrow for President, will most likely still be a book that you and your kids will enjoy reading and looking at.

And, if you want a different opinion, be sure to stop by the TLC Tour page where you can find a list of blogs reviewing this same book (or you can hop over to Kirkus Review and find out what the literary critics think).