Children’s Book Publishers Illustrate Presidential Hopefuls

Make room Cat in the Hat, Berenstain Bears and Curious George—you’re being replaced with John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Believe it or not, it’s true. Three new children’s books on sale two months before the historic November election focus on the lives of two presidential hopefuls and one almost-hopeful. The goal is to target the children of voters by telling the life stories of the three candidates in the 2008 presidential election.

My Dad, John McCain (Aladdin, 2008) by Meghan McCain and Dan Andreasen tells the story of the GOP nominee through the eyes of his daughter, Meghan. The book highlights McCain’s military career, calling the senator an American hero.

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2008) by Nikki Grimes tells the story of the Democratic nominee and his hope for a better future. The book is told in the form of a lengthy prose—unusual in children’s books.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2008) by Kathleen Krull is the story of the Democratic nominee runner-up’s childhood, told by using the analogy of flying.

As expected, reviews of the books are mixed. Publisher’s Weekly says My Dad lacks “personal touch,” the illustrations in Son of Promise are “stagy,” and the text of Dreams “is weakened by supplemental aphorisms on every spread.”

Are these books a good way to teach children at a young age the importance of voting? Or is this another case of over-exposure this election season? The text is clearly written for the parents—that is evident in the bland writing in McCain’s book and the prose that will go over any child’s head in Obama’s. Some critics see this as a tool to raise little Republicans or Democrats. After all, it’s highly unlikely that an Obama supporter will purchase both Son of Promise and My Dad for their child, and vice versa. The top-notch illustrations will hold the attention of a child for a while, but it remains unknown whether or not the message of the book will stay with children who read the book.

At a time when polls mean everything, perhaps the only way to measure the success of these books is to see where they rank. According to the Amazon ranking for books on September 9, 2008, Clinton’s book comes in last at 22,099. Runner-up is Obama at 3,402, and the winner is McCain by a landslide at 745.

Do you think that targeting children to reach parents this presidential election is wrong? We want to know what you think. Send an email to editor@writersnewsweekly.com and share your thoughts.