Review: Madam President

Summary: A little girl imagines what her day would be like if she were Madam President. There would be executive orders to give, babies to kiss, tuna casseroles to veto (or VETO!)…and so much more! Not to mention that recess would definitely require more security.

With deadpan wit and hilarious illustrations, best-selling picture book creator Lane Smith introduces readers to an unforgettable new character. -- Hyperion Books for Children

With all of the talk about the presidential election in the news, I thought MADAM PRESIDENT by Lane Smith would be a wonderful book to read to my children. Even though the book is geared for four to eight year olds, my nine year old daughter is very interested in politics and loves to read with her brother and me. Of course, my four year old son just loves to read anything and "blog" about it!

We all absolutely loved this book (especially me!) This is one of those great children's books that appeal to parents and kids of all ages. My nine year old enjoyed the story and the play on words -- like Secretary of Treasury (with a picture of a piggy bank) and Secretary of Interior (with a picture of a human body.) My son absolutely adored the wonderful illustrations and the humor. And, I don't know what I liked better -- the story or the illustrations! Either way, we were all very entertained by MADAM PRESIDENT and found ourselves giggling while I read it.

MADAM PRESIDENT is the story of a young girl who imagines what her life would be like if she were the President of the United States. She basically takes you through a day in her life and explains the various responsibilities she would have if she were president. Even the most normal things in her life (like eating breakfast and arriving at school) would take on an entirely new meaning. I enjoyed how she had to "be a diplomat," "tackle press conferences gracefully," and "keep the peace;" and I especially liked how she chose to end her day.

When I went to the Hyperion Books for Children website, I was extremely impressed with the information they had for MADAM PRESIDENT! Not only did they have the usual information like praise for the book and an author biography, but they had a great teacher's guide. I found this teacher's guide to be a terrific resource that complements the book. It's set up in the format of a MADAM PRESIDENT Event Kit; and it includes some Diplomacy Role Play questions, a Presidential To-Do List, and a worksheet that allows children to make up their own cabinet. There is also a presidential word search and a design your own flag page. I think children (and teachers) would have a blast reading this book and using these supplemental exercises!

I can't make it any clearer how much we all loved MADAM PRESIDENT! It's a fabulous book for children and parents alike, especially during this election season!