So You Want to Be President

Hilariously illustrated by Small, this celebration by St. George shows us the foibles, quirks and humanity of forty-two men who have risen to one of the most powerful positions in the world. Perfect for this election year--and every year!

* "It's hard enough to cover the American presidency-from its origins in the Revolutionary War to the structure of our government, through presidential responsibilities, and into the story of the White House itself-but to pack in amusing historical anecdotes that invite young readers to branch out in their reading, and to populate it with humorous bunnies, annoyed robots, and recurring gags that maintain their amusement without becoming tedious, is a unique achievement. The data, supported with a bibliography of sources, is the most thorough treatment of this subject available in this format, and the loopy caricatures and cartoonishly feverish depictions of places and events don't undermine the information, but miraculously serve to keep interest percolating through some high-density pages that touch on everything from George Washington's teeth to crucial constitutional amendments to presidential assassinations. An absolute necessity for school libraries." Booklist, starred review

"So chock-full of interesting tidbits and anecdotes that kids will no doubt find it useful to supplement their American history studies." -School Library Journal

This Caldecott Award–winning picture book is now revised and updated to include information about our nation's 44th president, Barack Obama. A great fit for Presidents' Day and the 2012 election cycle, this book is perfect for parents, teachers, and librarians who want to talk presidents without talking politics.

Just in time for the 2012 election, Michael Townsend presents his comic book guide to everything you ever wanted to know (and maybe a few things you didn't!) about the President of the United States. It's full of insanely weird facts about our leaders (Did you know that President Coolidge had a pet pygmy hippo named Billy?), as well as the history and powers of the presidency, day-to-day life, and pros and cons of the job. Even the most mundane of facts become hilarious in this brilliantly cheeky guide to our nation's MVP.

Just in time for the 2012 election, Michael Townsend presents his comic book guide to everything you ever wanted to know (and maybe a few things you didn't!) about the President of the United States. It's full of insanely weird facts about our leaders (Did you know that President Coolidge had a pet pygmy hippo named Billy?), as well as the history and powers of the presidency, day-to-day life, and pros and cons of the job. Even the most mundane of facts become hilarious in this brilliantly cheeky guide to our nation's MVP.

David Small grew up in Detroit, studied Art and English at Wayne State University and completed his graduate studies in art at Yale. He went on to teach drawing and printmaking at the college level for fourteen years, during which time his first book Eulalie and The Hopping Head was published. David no longer teaches but has continued illustrating.

David has illustrated twenty-seven picture books, and has also provided the text for six of them. His Imogene’s Antlers has been featured for fifteen years on PBS’ “Reading Rainbow.” Fenwicks Suit presently is in production by Fox 2000 Four of David’s bestselling picture books were written by his wife, Sarah Stewart. Their book The Gardener was the recipient of 17 awards including the Christopher Medal and the 1998 Caldecott Honor Award.

David’s books have been translated into six languages. He also has worked years as a freelance editorial artist, with his drawings appearing regularly in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. His reviews of picture books appear frequently in The New York Times Book Review.

Of his beginnings as an artist David has this to say: “Detroit is not where I would have lived given the choice as a child. Then, I would much rather have lived in Candy Land. But the fact is Detroit—a harsh, industrial—made art and music all the more sweet in my young life, more urgent and more of a necessity. Seen in that light, Detroit was the perfect place for me to grow up.”

David Small and Sarah Stewart make their home in Michigan in an 1833 Greek Revival house on ten acres of land along the banks of the St. Joseph River. Their house is on the National Register of Historic Places, and their property marks the northern boundary of the Great Tallgrass Prairie.