Spotlight On… Presidents’ Day

--by Hanje Richards

Washington's Birthday is a United States Federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is also commonly known as Presidents’ Day. This post features books for children about some of those presidents.
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Abraham Lincoln (Ingri & Edgar d’Aulaire). Lincoln's boyhood is portrayed with deep understanding of the life of a gangling boy in a backwoods cabin. He grows taller by the page and his face shows the recognizable features before he is grown. This is no brief picture book but a balanced story of Lincoln's life, up to the last beautiful page that shows the tired war-president seated in an armchair beside Tad Lincoln.
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Fred Israel). This book is a biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, part of an illustrated series entitled "World Leaders Past and Present" which sets out to introduce the men and women whose ideas and actions have determined the course of history.
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George Washington (Ingri & Edgar d’Aulaire). George Washington was a backwoods Virginia boy destined to become the Father of His Country. Meticulously researched, the d'Aulaires hiked and camped all over Virginia as they imbibed the spirit of this great man. The story follows his growth from young boy, to surveyor, to soldier in the French and Indian War, where he became a war hero. Then, George courted Martha Custis and, after their marriage, they built a thriving plantation at Mount Vernon. Slavery is depicted as an acceptable fact "where his hundreds of slaves… kept everything spick and span and in beautiful order." Then, we see Washington lead his troops through the dark and hungry days of the Revolution – by his courage and integrity, inspiring the same in his men.
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George Washington (Cheryl Harness). We see George the adventurous boy, tromping through the woods with his dog and his hunting rifle; George the courageous military leader, fighting alongside his men; George the cunning military strategist, outfoxing the British and forcing their surrender at Yorktown; George the brilliant statesman, presiding over the Constitutional Convention; and George the President, wisely protecting our country from enemies foreign and domestic so it could grow strong. But, through it all, we see George as happiest living as an experimental farmer at Mount Vernon with his wife, Martha. He could have been Emperor of America, but he chose to spend his last years "looking after things that needed doing" at home.

Grace for President (Kelly Di Picchio). When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides to be the first. And she immediately starts off her political career as a candidate the school's mock election. But soon, she realizes that she has entered a tough race. Her popular opponent claims to be the "best man for the job" – and seems to have captured all the male votes – while Grace concentrates on being the best person.
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Picture Life of Ronald Reagan (Dori Lawson). This book highlights the life of the 40th President from his childhood through his years as a movie actor to the White House.
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Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times (David Rubel). This title documents the tenure of each of the American presidents. It also includes information about the headlines, people, and fads that were defining America during each presidency. Each profile includes a fact box that lists the president's birthday, birthplace, vice president, wife, children, and nickname. It also lists each president's full name and the years he was in office.

Following the fact box is a one-page description of each year that the president served. Each page explains the key issues that the president addressed that year, as well as what was important to Americans at that time. A brief description of each presidential campaign is included as well.

So You Want To Be President? (Judoth St.George). St.George leads her audience, ostensibly young presidential hopefuls, through the good points of the presidency (big house with its own bowling alley and movie theater) and bad points (lots of homework). Then, she offers a spiffy presidential history with comparisons and contrasts: most popular names, log cabin origins, ages, looks, backgrounds, pets, musical abilities, favorite sports, and personalities ("William McKinley was so nice that he tried to stop a mob from attacking the man who had just shot him").

Theodore (Frank Keating). His name was Theodore, but he is remembered as Teddy. As a young boy, he was a dreamer and a reader and had a curiosity about life he could never satisfy. As the youngest man to ever be president, he led a nation to greatness and he made every day count. Keating's telling of incidents in Roosevelt's rich and varied life reminds readers how one person can make a difference, and Mike Wimmer's exuberant paintings make Roosevelt come to life a century after his presidency.


Theodore Roosevelt Takes Charge (Nancy Whitelaw). Although born with debilitating asthma, Theodore Roosevelt had supportive parents, a strong will, and an intense desire to learn. The combination of these and other factors made it possible for him to lead an extraordinary productive life. Whitelaw's biography, illustrated with more than 70 photographs, is absorbing and complete.

Thomas Jefferson (Cheryl Harness). Harness illuminates the many sides of Thomas Jefferson: scientist, lawyer, farmer, architect, diplomat, inventor, musician, philosopher, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and third president of the United States. Readers meet this extraordinary man of contradictions: a genius who proclaimed that "All men are created equal" and championed the rights of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," while at the same time living a life that depended on the enforced labor of slaves.

Readers experience an eventful life lived largely in public service, yet also enjoy the personal warmth of this fascinating historical figure. The narrative examines the crucial role that the "sage of Monticello" played in shaping the ideals of freedom and self-government, which became the cornerstones of American democracy.