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Summary
Summary
Every U.S. president is the focus of public scrutiny, but how well do we know these men? What kind of fathers do presidents make? Husbands? Neighbors? Other books focus on the historical achievements of those who have occupied our country's highest office; Lives of the Presidents looks instead at their bad habits, silly nicknames, and strange pets. Every president--from George Washington to Bill Clinton--is included, with an emphasis on those who have had the greatest impact on history. Discover their high points, low points, and the times in between. In this stunning addition to their acclaimed series, Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt take us beyond politics and photo opportunities, revealing the entertaining, complex, and very real lives of the presidents.
Author Notes
Kathleen Krull is well known for her innovative, award-winning nonfiction for young people, including Lives of the Explorers, Lives of the Musicians, and all other books in this popular series illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. She is also the author of Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, as well as The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) and Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country), both co-written with Paul Brewer and illustrated by Stacy Innerst. She lives in San Diego, California. Visit her website at www.kathleenkrull.com . Kathryn Hewitt's caricatures of famous figures led kids to dub the Lives of . . . series the "Big Head" books. She has illustrated many books for young readers, some of which she also wrote. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Visit her website at www.kathrynhewitt.com ."
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Krull (Lives of the Writers; Lives of the Athletes) has a proven knack for delivering generous dollops of covert asides along with fun facts and pertinent information when it comes to profiling famous figures. This latest effort does not disappoint. Beginning with her debunking of the myth that George Washington had wooden teeth, Krull briskly moves through the list of White House inhabitants, discussing their personality quirks and qualifications for elected office (or seeming lack thereof) as well as offering tidbits about their marriages and love lives, favorite foods and pastimes, family pets and, of particular import these days, scandals. She goes so far as to mention that President Clinton has "admitted privately that he has had affairs," and hints at his reputation as a womanizer. Presidents whose terms had major historical significance and more recent chiefs of state are given longer entries (two to three pages) while the others receive paragraphs. All, however, are written up in the same chatty and intriguing tone. In watercolor-and-colored-pencil paintings, Hewitt, in her signature style, depicts each president with a very large head and smaller body. Background scenery and dress suggest the historical era and significant details about the man; those presidents with a full-page portrait include an inset, smaller portrait of the First Lady in the top left corner of the painting. Young readers will find many of the school-report essentials herebirthplaces and dates, number of terms in officeand plenty of items that will surely entertain as well as educate. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Krull and Hewitt have updated their informative and humorous look (originally published in 1998) at the personalities behind the public figures of our forty-four presidents, describing the daily lives, interests, quirks, and habits of these iconic men. The succinct profiles now include two new presidents (George W. Bush and Barack Obama), and Krull and Hewitt also cover the deaths of two presidents (Ford and Reagan) as well as the Clintons' life after the White House. The heading fonts have been changed slightly, which improves readability, but a new, rather lackluster cover replaces the original lively illustration of all the presidents on the White House lawn. The entertaining gossipy style remains unaltered, and most of the text remains the same, but it is the new information on our most recent presidents (learning, for instance, that President Obama has read all seven Harry Potter novels with his girls) that makes this worthwhile. cynthia k. ritter (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-7. Krull and Hewitt, using the successful format that began with Lives of the Musicians (1993), now turn their attention to the U.S. presidents. As in the previous books, and as the subtitle indicates, the book deals with the minutiae of the subjects' lives, with only an occasional nod toward their accomplishments. Important presidents--such as Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and all the post^-World War II crowd--get a full-page illustration (wives are featured in cameos) and several pages of text. Others, like Rutherford Hayes ("With whiskers so long they dipped into his soup") and Benjamin Harrison ("the Human Iceberg") get a short paragraph. Much of the fun of these books is Hewitt's stylish pictures that use elements of caricature and sly bits of details. For instance, the portrait of President Kennedy features a Frank Sinatra album next to the record player; Checkers' leash is wrapped around Richard Nixon's legs, and Nixon holds a reel of tape in his hand. Other facts? The sleeping arrangements of some of the presidential couples: Woodrow Wilson and his first wife slept in separate bedrooms, but he and his second wife, Edith, moved Lincoln's bed into their room. Bibliography. --Ilene Cooper
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-This new edition is sure to be even more popular than the original title (Harcourt, 1998) as it includes Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who are given the same cheeky-but-respectful treatment as their predecessors. Bush's entry is particularly irreverent-the DUI charge, choking on pretzels, and his "Bushisms" are all fair game. However, Krull skirts around the controversial 2000 election. She provides further information on ex-Presidential activity since 1998, such as Jimmy Carter's Nobel Prize, Ronald Reagan's passing, and the Clintons' post-White House work. All other entries and art are virtually unaltered. Guaranteed to inject some levity into the ubiquitous presidential biography assignment, the 2011 Lives of the Presidents is a must-have for elementary schools and public libraries.-Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
