The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

This hilarious romp chronicles arcane characteristics of the men elected to office through the end of the 20th century. If you want to be president, Judith St. George comments, it might help if you name is James, because so far six presidents have had that name. However, the name John or William might be an advantage, too. She remarks that presidents have to dress up every day and be polite to everyone, but don’t have to eat what they don’t like. David Small’s mischievous drawings show White House advantages, such as the bowling alley. In the picture, President Nixon raises both arms in a victory gesture after knocking down all the pins. St. George points out that so far all presidents have been white, male, and Christian, while Small paints characters resembling Geraldine Ferraro and Jesse Jackson waiting to be admitted to a president’s party. A key in the back identifies the presidents in each picture, and a chronology provides biographical notes. This account is sure to entertain kids–and their grown-ups, too. Winner, CCBC 2001 Caldecott Award Discussion (Ages 7-12)

CCBC Choices 2001 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2001. Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

July 31, 2000
HThis lighthearted, often humorous roundup of anecdotes and trivia is cast as a handbook of helpful hints to aspiring presidential candidates. St. George (Sacagawea; Crazy Horse) points out that it might boost your odds of being elected if your name is James (the moniker of six former presidents) or if your place of birth was a humble dwelling ("You probably weren't born in a log cabin. That's too bad. People are crazy about log-cabin Presidents. They elected eight"). She serves up diverse, occasionally tongue-in-cheek tidbits and spices the narrative with colorful quotes from her subjects. For instance, she notes that "Warren Harding was a handsome man, but he was one of our worst Presidents" due to his corrupt administration, and backs it up with one of his own quotes, "I am not fit for this office and never should have been here." Meanwhile, Small (The Gardener) shows Harding crowned king of a "Presidential Beauty Contest"; all the other presidents applaud him (except for a grimacing Nixon). The comical, caricatured artwork emphasizes some of the presidents' best known qualities and amplifies the playful tone of the text. For an illustration of family histories, Small depicts eight diminutive siblings crawling over a patient young George Washington; for another featuring pre-presidential occupations, Harry Truman stands at the cash register of his men's shop while Andrew Johnson (a former tailor) makes alterations on movie star Ronald Reagan's suit. The many clever, quirky asides may well send readers off on a presidential fact-finding missionDand spark many a discussion of additional anecdotes. A clever and engrossing approach to the men who have led America. Ages 7-up.

From AudioFile Magazine

St. George's romp through history, pointing out the similarities and peccadilloes of our famous forefathers, is absorbing and entertaining, offering little bits of presidential trivia. Touching subjects pertinent to kids, like presidential pets, homework, and the negatives and positives of the job, St. George's text is full of fascinating detail. Next, add an excellent score--jaunty, bouncy versions of a variety of patriotic songs--and a perfect narrator. Stockard Channing narrates like an old-time barker and manages to be slightly irreverent as well. She changes moods easily while pointing out the all-too-human highs and lows of our presidential history. Although some of the humor and vocabulary make this appropriate for older students, younger students will definitely enjoy the illustrations and information. W.L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine